Human (Rewrite)
by DepMoon
Summary: The day Addison Swan landed in Forks, Washington was the day that everything changed. Being bitten by a vampire as she's taking a leisurely walk through the woods, she must learn to control her new urges as well as deal with a knowing voice in her head. She has a lot to learn on her own, but things become easier when she realizes the Cullen's may not be as different as she thought.
1. Chapter 1

_**So, here is the first chapter of the rewrite. I hope you all enjoy it, both new and old readers. I'm just getting back into Twilight, and this is just something I'm writing to pass the time, so there won't be regular updates. Still, I hope you enjoy it more than the previous version which was written while I was a young and inexperienced writer. **_

* * *

A rhythmic thumping sounded in my ears as I pushed my body to run as fast as I could. The fear was pushing me, urging me to go faster. My lungs were working overtime, burning from overexertion, but there was no way I could take a breath. Something told me that if I took even a second's break, everything would be over for me. Whatever was chasing me wasn't going to pause for me to calm my racing heart, so I had to keep going despite the pain blooming in my chest.

Maniacal laughter sounded behind me, making my heart pound even louder in my ears. The voice was too close for comfort. At this rate, it'd catch up to me in no time. I'd have laughed if I knew it wouldn't waste valuable air. _What a great introduction to Forks_, I thought sarcastically.

* * *

"_Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to William R. Fairchild International Airport. Local time is 2:33 pm and the temperature is 68 degrees."_ The pilot went through his normal speech as the plane came to a smooth landing. I hardly paid it any attention, having heard it enough times before. It didn't take much longer before the Seat Belt sign turned off, and we were allowed to deplane.

Grabbing my carry on bag, I hurried to get in the growing line of people shuffling down the aisle. Thankfully, there wasn't much shoving. The rain falling around me wasn't a surprise just a mild annoyance; it'd take some time to get used to. Phoenix didn't have nearly as much rain as this side of Washington did. A small smile came to my face as I thought of how Bella would react to the weather. She loved the heat and the sun, and Forks was severely lacking in both of those. I had a feeling she'd have a much harder time adapting to the weather than I would.

When I got to the terminal, I began looking around for my father. He said he'd be waiting for me when my plane landed. Sure enough, he was standing not too far from the baggage reclaim area, decked out in full police gear. Charlie was the chief of police in Forks, a tiny town with a little over 3,000 residents, a place where everyone knew everything about everyone. I could already imagine how awkward it was going to be for Bella and me, the new girls in town, when we started school. It didn't help that we'd be starting school in the middle of the year.

Charlie spotted me, and we embraced in an awkward hug that lasted two seconds, at the most. Neither of us was the type to show much affection, so it was fine with both of us. "Good to see you, Addie," he greeted while grabbing the bag out of my hands. I let him and shot him a quick smile.

"You too, Dad." We grabbed the remainder of my bags from the carousel and walked out the doors. The cruiser was parked near the entrance. I followed Charlie towards it, throwing my bags into the back seat before sliding in the front, much to my chagrin. I held in a sigh as we got on the road. Nothing slowed down traffic like a cop.

The beginning of the ride was spent in silence, neither of us knowing how to break the ice. Only when we got halfway to Forks did he speak. "So… your car got here yesterday," he glanced at me from the corner of his eye, "That's a fine piece of machinery," he commented. I found myself smiling brightly at that. My Dodge Viper was my pride and joy. I'd saved up every penny I got for years before I had enough to buy her, with a little help from mom and Phil. I was glad to hear she'd made it with no problems.

"Yeah, she is. I can't wait to drive her again." _Because I can't stand to be driven around in a police car every day._ I kept that little comment to myself. His lips twitched upwards in a brief smile at my enthusiasm.

He cleared his throat before asking, "Bells is supposed to be here in three days, right?" I nodded. She was supposed to come with me today, but she couldn't bring herself to leave just then. Not wanting to prolong the inevitable, I chose to go ahead and take the flight.

"I should be back from my meeting by then. I hate to leave you when you just got here, Addie, but I've got to handle something in Seattle. I hope you don't mind being alone for the time being?" He glanced at me with a crease between his brow. I waved a hand dismissively. Being alone was something I'd gotten used to. Bella and I were constantly left alone when mom and Phil left on trips, so this would be nothing new.

"I'll be fine, Dad. I like being alone anyway; it gives me time to think."

He still looked unsure. "I could send someone to check on you. You remember Billy Black from the reservation, don't you?" I wracked my brain, vaguely remembering a Native American man bringing his kids over to play with Bella and I, and I nodded. "He's in a wheelchair now, but I could ask him to check in a few times to make sure you're alright," he offered.

Almost instantly, I shook my head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll be able to survive a few days by myself, Dad." Billy was like a complete stranger to me now. I hadn't seen him in years, and I wouldn't feel completely comfortable with him just popping up without Charlie being there.

He nodded, and we were once again enveloped in silence. At least it wasn't as awkward this time around. We stayed quiet for the remainder of the drive to my old/new home for the next hour or two.

* * *

Charlie dropped me off at the house, leaving shortly after giving me a brief rundown of where things were. The house was exactly how I remembered it. The cabinets were still that terrible yellow from Renee's attempt at brightening up the place and there were pictures lining the walls of Bella and me at different stages in our lives. Despite how cringey looking at them was, I wasn't uncomfortable enough to ask Charlie to take them down.

My room hadn't changed much either. The only differences had been my bed, which was replaced with a full, and a new desk with an ancient looking computer sitting atop it. _That's going to be a blast to use._ Looking around my old/new room, I could feel tears threatening to fall from my eyes. Blinking them away, I took a deep breath and decided to unpack my few items to try and make my room more like my own.

Within the span of an hour, all my clothes were hanging neatly in my closet and all my little knick knacks were placed around the room. It wasn't much, but it made me feel a bit more comfortable. Normally, the silence didn't bother me, but I was feeling a bit unnerved in the empty house. Maybe a walk would ease the remainder of my nerves. Standing from the edge of my bed, I grabbed my biggest coat and walked out the back door, making sure to lock it behind me before setting off on the path behind the house.

A feeling of peace settled over me the further I walked. Focusing on the sounds around me, I forgot my worries. The leaves crinkling beneath my heavy boots, birds chirping in the distance, leaves shuffling in the breeze, and the smell of it all had a smile coming to my face. This was one thing I found myself enjoying about Forks. Phoenix didn't have the same natural charm that this place seemed to. I could see myself taking many more walks as I was here.

I was so lost in my own thoughts that I almost missed the way that everything went eerily quiet. Slowing to a stop, I took a moment to look around. The only thing I could see were trees surrounding me on all sides. I'd walked a pretty far distance from the house, I noticed. A small amount of fear built in my chest, and I knew it was best to start making my way back home before something happened.

Just as I was about to take a step in the direction of the house, a loud, snapping sound made me freeze in my tracks. It had come from the direction I was just about to go in. The growl that followed the sound had the fear in my chest doubling. Something was out there, and it was blocking my path to safety. There wasn't much else I could do besides run in the opposite direction with all I had.

* * *

That was what led me to these current events, running for my life from something that was most definitely trying to kill me. Panic was beginning to take hold of me as I realized I was running even deeper into the forest, away from any civilization. Something told me that whoever was chasing me knew this, and my heart got caught in my throat.

Just as I was debating turning back towards a populated area, something hit me hard, sending me flying towards a tree. On instinct, I threw out a hand to try and brace myself. Bad idea. I heard the sickening snap before I felt it. An agonized scream left my throat as my body collided painfully with the tree and then the ground. There was no doubt in my mind that my arm had broken from the impact, and tears fell from my eyes at the immense pain.

A sadistic chuckling made my head snap in that direction. I'd momentarily forgotten something had been chasing me. Confusion and fear clouded my mind as I saw a beautiful man staring down at me. His blond hair was messily pulled back into a ponytail and his clothes looked incredibly worn and tattered, but those weren't the features that really stood out to me. What really stood out were his striking blood-red eyes. There was nothing human about those eyes, and I found myself cowering from their unwavering gaze.

He tilted his head as he spoke. "Well, look at what we have here. What is a little thing like you doing this far out in the forest?" His tone was playful as if he thought this was all some kind of game for him. My lips were pressed in a firm line as I pressed myself as close as I could to the tree. I didn't know what he was, but I knew that he could kill me if he wanted to, and I couldn't force myself to speak, even if I wanted to. He chuckled again, making me shiver. "That's alright, don't answer. It doesn't matter in the end." Faster than I could blink, he was crouching beside me with his hand on my leg. There was another snap and a scream tore its way out of my throat. It took me a second to realized he'd broken my leg with just a single hand. It didn't even look like he'd put in much effort to do it either!

Tears were leaking from my eyes in a steady stream as I tried to back away from him. He only laughed at my futile attempt at escape before snatching my wrist and squeezing. Yet another scream was torn from me, making my throat feel raw. Through my tears, I could see him smiling. It was obvious he was enjoying seeing me in pain. As he put a hand on my other leg, I squirmed. "No, no! Please, no more! Let me go!" I pleaded, trying to push his hand off of me. It was like trying to move a ton of bricks. No matter how hard I pushed, his hand stayed firmly in place, completely unphased. _What is he?_

His smile widened as he slowly added pressure to my leg, unphased by my pleading. Yet another snap and more pain as he broke my other leg, ruining any chance of escape. "This was fun and all, but I've got places to be. Sorry to cut our play time short." Before I knew it, his face was at my neck and his teeth were sinking into my skin. The initial pain of his teeth sinking in was nothing compared to the burning that followed. The loudest scream yet left me as the burning began to spread throughout me. I wanted to struggle, to push him away and run for my life, but everything hurt too much.

I could literally feel the blood being drained from my body at a steady pace, giving me an idea of what I was dealing with. A vampire, an actual vampire was sucking my blood. I wouldn't have believed it had it not been happening to me right now. It was too unbelievable, yet here I was. I couldn't help but wonder how he wasn't burning to a crisp right now. It was day time, yet he seemed to be completely unaffected. I guess the myths about them weren't accurate.

Black spots started to cloud my vision as any fight I had left was drained from me. I could only sit limply in his hold as he slowly killed me. My mind went to my family. _How would Charlie feel when he came back and I wasn't there?_ _Would he search for me?_ I was sure he would. I wonder how he'd feel when he came across my body. _How would he think I died?_ I'm sure a vampire wouldn't be the first thing to cross his mind. _Would he blame himself for my death?_ I hoped he didn't. This was all my fault.

_And what about Bella? How would she feel about my death?_ Hopefully, she wouldn't be too sad. She'd probably go back to Phoenix when she found out. I'm sure she wouldn't want to stay in the same town that her sister died in. I hoped she'd at least stay with Charlie for a little bit to console him.

My musings were cut short as he teeth suddenly unlatched from my neck. There was a burst of wind that made my hair blow around me, and then silence. He was gone, I was sure of it. The overwhelming fear had gone, leaving me with the normal amount. I only had a second of relief. While my blood was no longer being drained, the burning hadn't stopped. If anything, it had gotten worse. Had I had more energy, I would have screamed, but the most I could do was let out a whimper as a fire burned through my veins. _Death couldn't be this painful… could it?_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Here's the second chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. Let me know what you think of the rewrite, and if you've read the past version, it would really help me if you gave me some ideas of what you liked and didn't like as well as some suggestions, because there wasn't much of a plot in the last one. **_

* * *

Pain and burning became my constant companions in the time after the attack. Death didn't claim me as I thought it would, instead, it just laughed as I writhed on the forest floor. The pain claimed nearly all of my mind, making it impossible for me to tell how long I was there. It could have been minutes, hours, days, weeks, months; I couldn't tell. All I knew was that my entire body felt like it was burning from the inside out, and it seemed endless. There were times when it hurt less than others, but it was constant, always there, never disappearing completely.

Only recently had the pain began to recede. There weren't any drastic differences from before, just short increments of blissful relief before the pain returned just as intense as before. It was hard to keep track of how much time passed between each moment, but I had a feeling it was getting slightly shorter each time. I could have sworn my fingertips stopped burning with the most recent wave.

This process continued for… some time; each time granted me more freedom from the burn. There was no doubt in my mind that the fire within me was fading. After an immeasurable amount of time, the fire had faded from all parts of my body besides my heart. The burning seemed to congregate there, building until it became unbearable. If I had thought the pain was horrible before, it was nothing compared to what I was feeling now. I'd never felt anything close to this. I might have screamed; it was hard to tell. The only thing I could hear was my heart beating erratically in my chest.

This torture went on for what seemed like forever. Where my heart was once beating faster than a hummingbird's wings, it was now slowed to a worrying rate… to the point where I was only hearing the occasional beat. I listened carefully as my heart beat once, twice, three times, before settling for good. My heart had stopped beating. _My heart…. stopped beating!_ I was prepared for the arms of death to take me away to the afterlife then, finally done watching me suffer, but they never came. I sat there for a bit longer, just to make sure, before doing a mental check of my body.

Wiggling my fingers and toes, I was assured that this was real, and I somehow hadn't died from that fatal encounter. Slowly, I opened my eyes and gasped at everything I was seeing. Everything was so much _clearer_! The sounds and smells of the forest that I'd been appreciating during my walk were now so powerful and intense that they were almost overwhelming. I gazed around in wonder, taking in everything new that I hadn't noticed before. The thing that seemed to stand out the most to me was a leaf that was falling towards the ground. While that normally wouldn't be anything to bat an eye at, it was now the most entrancing thing. It seemed to be falling as if it were in slow motion, and though I was far away, I could see it as if I were standing right beside it. Wanting to observe it further, I stood to move closer.

To my surprise, the leaves on the ground were lifted from the ground at my speed. It didn't seem as if I was moving as fast as I apparently was. Turning around, I was able to make out the spot where I'd been with perfect clarity. The leaves and dirt were upturned from where I'd likely been thrashing. The memory of what had happened had me stiffening where I stood. I'd gotten distracted and momentarily forgotten.

Lifting a hand to my chest, I held it over the place where my heart should have been beating. Nothing. I couldn't hear even the faintest sound of my heart beating nor feel it. This had to be some type of lucid dream; one last hoorah before I was taken into the afterlife. I took a deep breath to try and calm my rising panic. Immediately after, my hands flew up to my throat as the burning returned. The feeling was almost as intense as the fire that came from the bite, but it was only centered in one place. _Don't tell me it's gonna be more burning._ I'd rather die than go through that again.

Panting breaths left me as my eyes flitted around wildly, hopelessly looking around for something that could help. Assessing myself, I realized that I was overwhelmingly _thirsty_. I could drink an entire lake right now and still have the need for more. As I stood there, clutching my throat, things began to fall into place in my mind. I'd become whatever my attacker had been. Going off the fact that he'd been sucking the blood from my body, I was positive that he was a vampire… and now I was, too.

Tears came to my eyes, and I was both frustrated and intrigued when they didn't fall no matter how much I wanted to cry. I didn't want to be like that monster. I didn't want to run around killing people just for sustenance; I refused to! Though the burn was unbearable, I'd rather endure it than sink to _his_ level.

Just as I was about to allow my body to sink back to the ground, a thought hit me. It was so out of the blue that it almost seemed like it hadn't even come from me. _**Blood is blood, no matter where it comes from.**_ My eyes widened as I whipped around, searching. No one was there, only me. There was a low rumbling sound that resembled an old engine reverberating through the trees, and it took me a moment to realize it was coming from me. As soon as I realized that, the vibration from my throat ceased. It was frustrating how new and confusing everything was.

The burning in my throat flared, reminding me that it was still there; I grimaced. There was time for me to come to terms with what I was later. Right now, I needed to work on stopping this pain. My mind went back to the thought from earlier. The myths and shows usually depicted vampires drinking from humans, but they also said that vampires burned in the sun. The sky was currently a greyish-blue-as bright as it usually got in Forks-and I wasn't a pile of ash. If that was wrong, who was to say that vampires needed _human_ blood to survive?

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

My head snapped in the direction of the sound, and I was running before I could fully realize what I was doing. The closer I got, the easier the sound was to distinguish. It was a heartbeat. My mouth nearly started salivating when I heard the blood moving through the arteries and veins. I wanted it, and I wanted it bad.

Without thinking, I lunged at the entrancing sound and tackled the thing to the ground. I could vaguely feel something struggling beneath me, but it hardly even fazed me. The hits felt more like little pokes than anything. Before I knew it, my teeth were sinking into something pliable and a delicious liquid was flooding my mouth. Groaning, I gripped the thing tighter and began eagerly sucking up the delicious fluid. It was better than anything I'd ever tasted in my life, making everything else pale in comparison.

All too soon, the ambrosia was gone. The rumbling sound started in my chest again and I unlatched myself from the empty sack. The burn was still as intense as before. I needed more. Closing my eyes, I slowed my breathing so I could focus on the sounds around me.

_Ba-dump. Bad-dump. Ba-dump._

My feet were nearly gliding across the ground as I followed my ears towards the heartbeat. There was something inside me saying that I needed to calm down and take snap out of it, but the pain in my throat was in control.

I'd like to say I lost count of how many things I'd tracked down and drained, but a mental tally I hadn't even realized I'd been taking let me know that it was six. Even after all that, I could still feel the tingling of thirst and idly wondered if it would ever go away fully.

With my mind clear of the bloodlust, I was able to process all that had just happened. I'd killed six animals with my bare hands and teeth without a second thought, and the only injuries that I'd gotten had been to my clothes. They were dirty and slightly torn from rolling around the forest floor and the claws of a wolf-who's blood had been better than the few deer and elk before. Grimacing, I wiped off as much dirt as I could before looking down at my latest kill.

Guilt washed over me like a wave as I took notice of the savage way the throat was torn. Its eyes were still wide open, terror evident in its blank gaze. As I stared down at it, I couldn't help but wonder who the real animal was. The way that I'd torn into it wasn't anything fitting of a human being, then again, I no longer was a human being, was I?

The feeling of wanting to cry returned, and, yet again, no tears fell from my dry eyes. Even though I'd only experienced-or hadn't experienced-this feeling twice, it was beginning to be one of the most frustrating things in the world. Crying is a healthy coping mechanism that allows for stress and pent up emotions to be released, and right now, I could really use some healthy crying.

I stood over the deer carcass for a while… an hour, six minutes, and twenty-eight seconds to be exact. I knew that because there was a part of my brain keeping track the entire time. It felt odd, to be aware of so many things at once, and I knew that it could only be chalked down to what I had become. The first thing I had to do when I got home was some thorough research on what vampires actually are. Of course, that computer would be a pain to use with how ancient it looked, but I was willing to suffer through it to find answers… answers that I knew would be difficult to find. The internet was so covered with the movie version of vampires that nearly everyone accepted that it would probably close to impossible to find facts that were actually true. Maybe I'd get lucky and find an article that listed everything I needed to know in one handy place. The site could even be run by vampires. That idea didn't seem likely though. What supernatural creature would want to be found out by a bunch of change-hating humans? The word 'humans' made me shudder as the realization that I was no longer one of them hit me again.

That entire tangent in my mind had taken no longer than three seconds, ideas flowing through like a coursing river. It was too easy to shift from one thought to the next.

Not wanting to be reminded of what I'd just done any longer, I stepped over the carcass and moved in the direction that felt like home. It didn't feel like I was moving fast at all, but the leaves being upturned as I moved told me otherwise. I made it to the break in the trees by my backyard in a minute and sixteen seconds. The walk to where I'd been had easily taken forty-five minutes or more, yet I was able to clear it now in far less than half the time. I couldn't decide whether to settle on being amazed or wanting to cry again. My humanity… no, my _normality_ was so obviously gone, and I couldn't help but feel mournful.

I took great care to walk slowly to the door of the house, not wanting to raise any suspicion in the neighbors… even if none of them were home, thankfully. I just knew that things would have ended badly if I'd heard another heartbeat. While my thirst for… _blood_ was momentarily sated, it was nowhere near gone. It was still nagging at me, urging me to go find more animals or people to suck dry. I dutifully ignored it.

Once I made it to the entrance, I carefully placed my hand on the doorknob and twisted slowly. If the way I'd tackled those deer like they were nothing was anything to go by, I was much stronger than I was before and would need to take care not to break anything. The door opened with a creak that sounded louder than any siren to my sensitive ears. I could recall it being nearly soundless when I'd walked in with Dad before.

So many scents greeted me when I entered. The overwhelming smell of dust that probably came from years of not cleaning well enough was what hit me first. Beyond that was the stench of beer that resonated from the kitchen trash can. And even further than that was something that had my throat blazing yet again. _**Charlie.**_ My mind blanked for a split second, and I was suddenly in his room and crouching next to his bed. My teeth were bared and a _growl_ was ripped from my throat. It took me longer than it should have to realize just what I was doing.

I threw myself away from the bed and across the room, staring at the bed with horror in my eyes. The burn in my throat was still urging me to find the source of the scent and _drain_ it, but I resisted. Had Dad been home, I would have killed him. I would have snapped his neck and drained him dry. My throat pulsed at the thought, and I put a hand to it to try and ease some of the burn. It didn't work.

Holding my breath, I rushed to my bedroom and closed the door, causing the whole wall to rattle. A part of my brain noted that while the other parts were focused on the gravity of what could have happened. _I would have killed Charlie. I would have killed my own father._ The worst part about the situation was that I couldn't get the thought of how _good_ he would have tasted out of my mind. That had easily been one of the best things I had smelled in my life, better than any food and even better than the animal blood I'd had earlier. The fact that the scent alone had smelled better than the actual animal blood tasted worried me.

Curling myself into a ball, I stared blankly at the wall ahead of me. _What am I gonna do?_ _What _can_ I do?_ It was clear that I wouldn't be able to go back into any kind of civilization in my state. If Charlie, my own father, smelled better than a five-star meal, how could I expect to resist against anyone else? I could hide away in the deepest forest I could find, but what would that do to Charlie? He'd go searching for me, that I was sure, and I wouldn't want him to keep that up for the rest of his life while I stayed hidden. That was just cruel.

_**I could always change back into a human.**_

There it was again, the thought that seemed too out there, too _knowing_, to be my own. I knew there was no one in the room with me, I would have sensed them, yet how else could I explain it? Everything else seemed too out there and reaching… though so was becoming a vampire, so who was I kidding?

Rather than question it further, I simply closed my eyes and did what felt right. I resumed my breathing, which I'd stopped for a whopping three minutes and five seconds, and focused on my heart. After sitting there for ten minutes and twelve seconds, I started to feel something shift. The smells of the house weren't getting to me as much and I could no longer hear the sounds of the forest from where I was, which my mind had noticed and pushed to the background. Finally, the most notable change came in the form of a stuttered heartbeat. It beat awkwardly a few times before eventually finding a rhythm, nowhere near as strong as a healthy heartbeat, but it had rhythm at least.

I slowly blinked my eyes open and gasped, the influx of air actually choking me. My vision was normal, slightly above average, but normal enough to where I couldn't see each individual fiber of the comforter beneath me. I gripped it tightly with both my fists and an incredulous laugh escaped my lips as it didn't tear. Somehow, through some miracle, I was normal again.

A single tear fell, followed by another and another and another until I was full on sobbing with a mixture of both fear, relief, and frustration. I'd never take crying for granted again.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Here's where you can probably tell a changing in the writing. I wrote the first chapter and most of the second months before the rest, and only recently have I gotten back into writing this leisurely. I can't tell if the writing has gotten better or worse, and that worries me. Anywho, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Bella is introduced/shows up here.**_

* * *

I cried until I tired myself out and fell asleep. I wasn't sure how long I was out, which came as a sort of relief, but I eventually woke up feeling lighter than before. Of course, I was still on the brink of a mental breakdown, but at least I wasn't crying anymore, which was a start.

Standing from my bed, I noticed two things. First, I'd fallen asleep in the bloodied and tattered clothes from earlier, and I grimaced at both the smell and the sight of the stains it left on my comforter. Second, if I'd been gone for as long as I thought I was, Charlie was due back from his meeting in Seattle, and Bella would be with him. Scrambling towards my phone, I cursed when I noticed it was dead. Quickly throwing it on the charger, I rushed down the stairs to look at the clock on the microwave. It was past noon. I probably didn't have a lot of time left.

Rushing back up the stairs, I quickly grabbed some of the first relaxing clothes I could find and ducked into the bathroom. Turning the water on full blast and to the highest heat setting it would go, I proceeded to scrub my skin raw, until I was pink all over. I'd almost thrown up at the sight of the red water going down the drain but somehow managed to hold it down and get through the process of washing my hair.

Once I was out of the shower and fully dressed, I grabbed the bloody clothes-with a glove, of course-and tossed them into the trash can that was starting to develop an odor. Tying the bag, I immediately took it outside and threw it in the bigger trash can, knowing that no one would go shopping through it. Going back inside, I had just enough time to brush my teeth before I heard the cruiser pulling into the driveway.

I hurried to my bed and grabbed the first book on my bookshelf and pretended to start reading. A few seconds later, the door was being pushed open and Charlie's worried voice called out to me. "Addison?! Addison?!" Dropping the book, I rushed down the stairs to see what had him so worked up.

"Yeah? What's wrong?" He let out a deep sigh of relief and took his hand away from the gun on his belt.

"Why haven't you been answering the phone? I called a few times every day, and you never answered. Bella said she texted you and didn't get a response either. I thought something had happened to you," he explained, still taking a quick look around. One could never be too sure.

I was mentally kicking myself. The thought of Charlie and Bella trying to contact me had completely slipped my mind. I hastily tried to think of an excuse on the fly. "Sorry, I wasn't here." He quirked an eyebrow, obviously confused. "It was weird being in the house all alone, so I went to Port Angeles and stayed in a motel for a few days. I just got back a couple of hours ago, actually, and I left my charger here, so my phone was dead."

A frown settled on his face, and, for a moment, I thought he'd see right through my story. "You got a motel? They let a minor rent a motel room?" Crap. He was suspicious.

I nodded, shrugging. "Yeah, um... the lady there was pretty chill and let me stay as long as I checked in with her every night. I was fine, don't worry." It was hard to tell if I was giving too many details or too little. Thankfully, I didn't have to worry for much longer since Bella's head peeked around the-still open-front door.

She shuffled on her feet awkwardly as Charlie turned to face her. "You were taking a while, and… I just wanted to make sure everything was fine." While the sentiment was very sweet, it was also very dangerous and stupid. It was like she didn't have any danger sensors whatsoever, which was disastrous when mixed with her lack of coordination. She was a 'walking accident', as Renee liked to call her.

Dad sighed again and nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine. Let's go get your stuff from the car." I watched as he disappeared back outside, and stopped Bella as she moved to follow.

"I could help, if you need me to," I offered, wanting to be useful in some way. I'd only seen her for a little under a minute, but she looked miserable. Helping with her bags may have been small, but I wanted to do whatever I could to make her adjustment as smooth as possible.

In the end, it was useless, however, as she shook her head, giving you a small, but genuine, grin. "No, it's fine. I only brought a few bags; Char-I mean, Dad and I can handle them. Thanks though." That was all she said before turning and making her way back to the cruiser, leaving me standing near the base of the stairs.

Rather than follow them outside and hover awkwardly, I went back up the stairs and silently closed the door behind me. They didn't need my help with unloading the car, and Bella would, undoubtedly, deny my help with unpacking, so it was best for me to stay out of the way for the time being. They would come to me when they needed me for something.

I could hear them talking in the room beside me with perfect clarity. I wanted to believe that it was just because the walls were thin, but I just knew it had something to do with what had happened to me in the forest. Just thinking about it made me shudder uncomfortably as I laid on my bed. Remembering the uncontrollable bloodlust from before made my throat begin to burn again but on a much smaller level, reminding me of what I truly was. Maybe I was a human again on the surface, but underneath, I'm still a vampire with a thirst for blood. That thought was enough to send me into another crying fit.

I wasn't sure how long I sat there, reveling in self-pity, but knocking on my door snapped me out of it. Quickly wiping away any remnant of tears, I called for whoever it was to open the door. Bella's head popped around the door, and my smile didn't feel as forced as I thought it would. "Hey, Bells," I greeted, gesturing for her to come further in.

She did so and took a look around the room quickly before her eyes settled back on mine. "Are you okay? You don't look… the best," she asked, coming closer until she was sitting on the bed beside me. Of course, leave it to Bella to figure out something was wrong. She was always so observant.

The urge to just tell her everything that happened was strong. I wanted to get everything off my chest and cry to her and hear her say everything was going to be alright. Even though I was the older sibling, Bella had always been the more mature one, the one who I'd go to with my problems. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but something stopped me from saying it.

_**Telling her would put her in danger.**_

I hadn't even thought of that possibility. Vampires were hidden from the populous for a reason. If there were no dangers or consequences of knowing, then they'd be roaming around confidently and everyone would know about them. There had to be something big, something powerful, keeping them all silent. The thought of something happening to Bella because of my mistake made my skin crawl.

So, I shrugged and sent her a withering smile. "I'm as okay as I can be, given the circumstances."

I was grateful when she just nodded and nudged my shoulder with her own. "It'll get better. Forks can't be _that_ bad."

I laughed through my nose. "Who're you trying to convince, me or you?" I teased.

That made her chuckle, albeit sadly. "Both of us, I guess." The air around us became tense with sadness and dread, and it nearly suffocated me. I'd done more than enough crying today. I at least have to wait until tonight. "Anyway," she shook her head, "I came in here because I saw dad talking to some guys and wanted to see if you'd come out with me, so I don't feel as awkward."

My smile returned as I nudged her back and stood up. "As if that'll happen," I teased while walking out of the room with her right behind me. Out of the two of us, I definitely was the bigger social butterfly. Bella was… a caterpillar at best, but it hadn't been for lack of trying on my part. Anytime she got near anyone, it was like she went into her cocoon and when they left, she came back out the same as she went in. She was a caterpillar that refused to go through metamorphosis.

Stepping outside the door, we were greeted by the sight of Dad along with two other men. Well, one of them looked to have a face that was too rounded to be that of a man's, though he seemed to be built like one. The actual man who seemed to be Charlie's age was in a wheelchair, and I had a feeling I knew who he was.

Noticing our entrance, Charlie stopped talking and gestured towards the two others. "Addie, Bella, you remember Billy Black from the reservation?" We both put on smiles and shook his hand.

"Yeah. You're looking good," Bella greeted. I nodded along.

"Well, I'm still dancing. I'm glad you two are here. Charlie here hasn't shut up about it since he told me you were comin'." I could see the mischievous grin on Billy's face as he glanced at Dad from the corner of his eye, making him blush as he rolled his eyes. It made my smile widen as I looked between the two. They were good friends.

"Alright, keep exaggerating before I roll ya into the mud," Dad grumbled, moving towards the back of the truck… which hadn't been there when I'd gotten here. Though it looked old and was in desperate need of a paint job, it was big and sturdy. Considering Charlie and I already had a car, it could only mean that it was intended for Bella. With how clumsy she is, it was a good choice.

"After I ram you in the ankles," Billy retorted, following after him. They moved into the street and began throwing false punches at each other. Shaking my head at them, I focused on the other person who'd arrived.

His smile was bright against his russet skin, and just being around him made my mood lighten. "Hi. I'm Jacob. We used to make mud pies when we were little," he introduced. Though the memories were faint, I could vaguely remember Charlie dropping us off at Billy's house to play with him and his older sisters. If I was remembering correctly, he and Bella had always hit it off together.

Bella nodded, and I could tell that she didn't actually remember those times. After lying to the poor boy, she gestured to the two men still boxing in the street. "Are they always like this?"

"It's getting worse with old age," he joked. I chuckled and he looked away from Bella for only a split second to smile wider at me before returning his gaze to her. It wasn't hard to see that the boy carried a flame for her… at all. He might as well have been holding a bright neon sign with his feelings spelled out in bold font.

Dad came back with Billy following close behind and slapped the truck. Turns out, I was right, and the truck was a gift for Bella. For some odd reason, she loved it and immediately hopped in, accidentally hitting Jacob with the door. I leaned on her door as Jacob explained how to shift and smiled at seeing her happiness.

"Now I get my car all to myself in the mornings and can blast my music as loud as I want." She rolled her eyes at me while Jacob gawked at my car.

"That's yours?!" he asked, staring with wide eyes and an open mouth.

I nodded. "Yup. I saved up every penny I got for years just to buy her. I wish I could have gotten her new, but buying it second hand wasn't all bad. It only took a few minor fixes to get her running."

He turned back to me, mouth still open. "Did you do the fixes yourself?"

Pride seeped from my every pore as I nodded again. "I'm just getting into the hang of things when it comes to mechanics, but I know enough to keep her running." He looked like he wanted to keep talking car, but Bella spoke up.

"Don't get her started. She'll keep going on forever, and I'll never be able to get out of the truck," she said while shooting a pointed look at the door I was blocking. I stuck my tongue out at her but moved out of the way so she could exit.

Billy and Jacob stayed over to talk for a while and catch up before a honking outside signaled it was time for them to leave. We went out to talk with Harry Clearwater for a little until he pulled off to drive them all back home. After that, we all went back inside and we're left to our own devices. Charlie ordered pizza for dinner, but I wasn't really in the mood to eat and decided to stay in my room for the remainder of my night.

By the time the sun fell beneath the trees and the horizon, it was pouring rain, and the heavy drops harshly pelted the roof and windows. The sound, although loud, was soothing to me, and I quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_**This chapter is a bit longer than the others because it's the first day of school and the Cullens are introduced. Also, I remember there being some confusion concerning Addison's abilities or powers, and I'd be happy to explain if it's still confusing. A lot of the pros and cons will be revealed as the story goes on, but if you really just don't get what's going on with her, then I'll explain as soon as I can.**_

* * *

The next morning, I was being shaken awake by a still-tired Bella. She didn't look like she had gotten any sleep last night, and I had a feeling it was because of the rain. "What is it?" I grumbled, shaking off sleep faster than I usually did. I never had been a morning person.

"We start school today, remember?" Any ounce of tiredness I had was washed away with those words. I groaned loudly while throwing my legs across the side of the bed.

"I forgot about that." As I stood, she moved to my door to go back to her room.

"I already had my shower, and I think Dad did too. It's all yours." And with that, she was closing my door and headed to her room to finish getting ready. I quickly found a pair of jeans and a sweater before going into the bathroom and washing away any dirt and grime that had accumulated from the previous day. Once I was done, I pulled my hair into a bun at the top of my head and applied minimal makeup: mascara, eyeliner, and lip gloss.

Thankfully, Charlie had already gotten us backpacks with the essentials, because I'd completely forgotten mine back in Phoenix. After slipping on my shoes and grabbing a coat, I was ready. Breakfast with Charlie and Bella was a quiet affair. He wished us luck with our first day and gave us the address of the diner where he wanted us to meet after school before grabbing his belt from beside the door and heading off. Now that it was just Bella and I, I pushed away my empty bowl of cereal and looked at her and asked, "So, are you ready to be gawked at by the entire student body?"

She groaned and pushed her bowl away too. "Don't remind me. I've been trying not to think about it since last night."

"Well, look at it this way, at least you're not joining the school halfway through your _senior_ year. At least, being a Junior, you have a year and a half to get friends and have decent relationships with them." She cringed and shook her head as if she was trying to get rid of a horrifying thought.

"Yeah, you're right. I don't envy you at all." I hummed in reply as I stood to take both our bowls to the sink and wash them.

We stayed lounging around for a bit longer before Bella decided that we should get going. Knowing that she'd feel even more awkward if we were to arrive separately, I slipped on my huge jacket and followed her outside, locking the door behind me. We parted ways to get to our respective cars, and I sighed happily once I was behind the wheel again. The serenity I felt was all but shattered when Bella's truck turned on. The engine had to have woken up the entire neighborhood with how loud it was. I had even more respect for Jacob fixing the behemoth up himself.

I let Bella pull out before me and followed behind her. As I thought, her truck was slow, and I hadn't wanted to leave her behind. The school was hard to miss, and I took a quick look around as we both pulled into the parking lot. It didn't look much like any school I'd ever seen, more like a collection of similar houses, but the sign declared it as Forks High. To my displeasure, Bella's truck clued everyone in on our entrance and many pairs of eyes were now staring at us before we'd even had the chance to get out. Once we found two parking spots next to each other, we both parked and got out. Our eyes met, and I tried to send Bella all the luck I could muster, but it didn't seem to do much to lift the foreboding expression off her face.

Together, we walked to the main office and got our schedules and a map from a nice lady named Mrs. Cope. She seemed to be expecting us, and I wasn't surprised. Things must travel quickly in a small town like this. We compared schedules, and I was bummed to find out we only shared two classes: lunch and gym. It made sense, with me being a senior and all, but it didn't mean I liked it.

We parted ways with short goodbyes, and I was left alone in a sea of students. My first class was AP Statistics, and it took me a while to locate the correct building, even with the highlighted map. Thankfully, I managed to find my way there just before the tardy bell rang. The teacher, Mrs. King, was very kind and didn't call for me to introduce myself to the class. She simply signed my slip, gave me a book and a syllabus with some of the things I may need, and then pointed out a seat that was, thankfully, in the back. One would think that being in the back of the class would make it harder for others to stare at me, but nope; they still found a way. I ignored them for the most part and focused on what Mrs. King was saying.

The class passed by relatively quickly and I got to my next class as fast as I could with nearly everyone stopping me to introduce themselves. Once again, I was nearly late to my class except, this time, it wasn't my fault. Thankfully, my next teacher, Mr. Moor, didn't make me introduce myself either. Much like Mrs. King, he just gave me a list of books I needed and a syllabus before sending me to sit next to a boy named Emmett. As soon as I saw him, a rush a fear went through my veins, and my breath hitched. _**Danger.**_ Something about him was firing off every warning signal I had, and it wasn't just because he was built like a linebacker. There was something else about him, something familiar yet not.

I only hesitated for a couple of seconds at most before snapping out of it and hesitantly making my way to the seat beside him. As soon as I sat down, I glanced at him and saw that he was giving me a cheeky smile that showed off dimples. His eyes were a honey gold, I noticed. _Weird._ "I'm Emmett Cullen," he introduced himself. His smile paired with his easy-going tone made me relax slightly, but not by much.

"Addison Swan. Nice to meet you." We didn't speak more than that. He turned back to the front, and I followed suit trying to ignore the urge to run far away from him. Once the bell rang, I was one of the first out of the classroom, trying to avoid my curious peers along with getting away from Emmett. Something wasn't right about him, I knew it.

My next two classes passed uneventfully, and I was grateful when the bell rang for lunch. I'd get to sit with Bella and we could rant to each other about how annoying being the center of attention was. I mean, I liked attention as much as any teenager my age, but being at the center of it was uncomfortable, to say the least.

Walking into the cafeteria, I quickly went through the line, only picking up an apple juice for my dry throat, before looking around for Bella. When I spotted her, I could honestly say I was shocked. She was sitting with a group of people, probably juniors, and didn't look completely miserable being there. She noticed me as well and waved me over with more eagerness than I was anticipating. Maybe she was miserable, just hiding it well.

Sitting in the seat beside her, she introduced me to the group. "Guys, this is my sister, Addison." She looked like she wanted to introduce the people at the table, but one look at her and I knew she'd forgotten their names. It didn't matter though because they were quick to introduce themselves. They all seemed pretty chill, but the guys at the table seemed a bit flustered.

"Hey, I'm Mike. Uh… Bella didn't mention you were… you had this lunch period," he stumbled, looking at me with a bit more intensity than I was comfortable with.

"It never really came up," she shrugged, looking from him to me. I was sure she was confused about the boy's reaction, but I had a good idea.

I decided to take over so Bella didn't have to feel as awkward. "Yeah, we have lunch and gym together; that's it."

"Are you a junior or…"

"No, I'm a senior." Jeesh, answering these same questions were getting old. One would think they'd have some new ones to ask, but nope. They all continued to ask us the same questions everyone else had, and I took over answering most of them unless they were directed at her specifically. The conversation was a bit awkward, but I expected nothing less. We were strangers joining the herd.

I was just trying to figure out whether or not to answer Mike's question about being single when Bella interrupted. "Who are they?" I followed where she was looking and stiffened in my seat. _**Danger.**_ She was looking at a table full of beautiful teens that looked like they belonged on a runway. They were all super pale and looked nearly identical. Emmett was with them, and his arm was looked around a gorgeous blonde who seemed to be scowling at anything that got too close. The others at the table were two boys and a girl. The other girl had a pixie cut and small features and was sitting with her legs intertwined with one of the other boy's. He had blond hair and he sat stiffer than the others as if being there pained him.

The last boy had bronze hair and was leaner than the other two. I took the time to observe him longer. He looked the most boyish out of the three, younger. Emmett and the other boy looked like they could be college students, but he seemed to fit in amongst the other students, aside from his inhuman looks. His eyes had dark shadows underneath them as if he was suffering from a sleepless night. A quick look at the others showed that they had similar shadows beneath their eyes. They all seemed to share the same honey gold eyes, as well. His face was… there was no other word for it besides perfect. Even the almost unnoticeable curvature of his nose only enhanced his charm. He was easily the most good looking out of the bunch. His mouth was moving as he picked at a bagel, and I had the feeling he was talking to the others at the table despite none of them looking at each other.

His eyes flickered from Jessica, then to Bella before settling on me. I wanted to look away, to duck my head and pretend like I hadn't been staring at him, but his eyes were hypnotic. I noticed his brows furrow as he looked at me, then furrow even further as he looked back at Bella. It seemed like he was struggling with a puzzle and couldn't solve it.

Jessica speaking snapped my attention away from the handsome boy and back to her. "That's Edward, Emmett, and Alice Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. They all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife," she said under her breath as if they would hear her if she spoke any louder. I had a nagging suspicion they would, so I didn't blame her.

"Yeah, I have English with him, Emmett I mean. He seems nice enough," I commented. They didn't need to know about the way he set my fight or flight instincts on fire.

"You talked to him?" She seemed shocked as if talking to a Cullen was worth a Nobel prize.

I shrugged. "We introduced ourselves, and that was it. I sit next to him in class."

She didn't question it further and went back to gossiping. "They're all together though, like… _together_ together. Emmett is with Rosalie, and Jasper is with Alice. The weirdest part is that they all live together." I could tell from her tone that she was criticizing them, and it made me feel a bit bad for them. Jessica definitely wasn't the only one who thought that way. If I was being honest with myself, it was a bit of an odd set-up, but so long as they weren't related, I didn't see how it was a problem or any of my business.

"Which ones are the Cullen's?" Bella asked. "They don't look related…"

"Oh, they're not. Dr. Cullen is really young, in his twenties or early thirties. They're all adopted. The Hales are brother and sister, twins-the blondes-and they're foster children." I looked at them critically. While they were both blondes and had the same eye color, there was nothing else that gave away they were twins. They didn't even really look the same age if you looked close enough. The only way I could see then being twins was if it was fraternal, but even that was a stretch.

As I was about to look away, my gaze locked with the bronze-haired boy, whom I guessed to be Edward, and I was once again stuck staring into his honey-colored eyes. That frustrated expression was still on his face, and I wondered what could cause him to look like that. It was a bit weird. As if he could read my thoughts, his face immediately fell into a neutral expression as he continued to stare. That couldn't have been a coincidence.

A bit freaked out, I looked away from him and continued to half-heartedly listen to Bella and Jessica speak about the Cullens. Only when they all got up to leave did I sneak another glance at them. This time, both Edward and Alice were looking at me, only Alice had a bright smile on her face and waved when we met eyes. I gave a small smile back but didn't return her wave.

Lunch was over pretty soon afterward, and I said goodbye to Bella and the group of teens before making my way to my next class. To my surprise, Emmett was there with Rosalie at his side. I glanced at them for only a split second before moving to hand my teacher the slip of paper. Unlike the others, she made me stand in front and introduce myself. I could feel my cheeks heat up as I kept my eyes placed firmly on the ground. If there was one thing I hated, it was introducing myself.

"Hello. My name is Addison Swan, and it's nice to meet you all." I was content to end it there, but the teacher urged me to continue. I had a feeling I was going to hate being in her class. "I'm sure you all pretty much know the basics about me. I moved here from Phoenix with my sister, Bella, and my dad is the chief of police. That's about all I have," I sent a pointed look at the teacher when I finished. If she tried to get me to say any interests or goals for the future, I was going to snap her neck. It was beneficial to both of us when she just nodded and sent me to an empty seat in front of Rosalie and Emmett.

Having them directly at my back made me tense up involuntarily. I didn't like the feeling. It was like turning my back to a pack of hungry wolves, to predators. No matter how much I tried to calm down or tell myself that everything was fine, I stayed that way for the entirety of the class. The worst part was that I could feel their eyes on me the entire period.

Once again, I was one of the first people out of the class. As soon as I was out of their sight, it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders, and I could breathe again. Being away from them made me realize just how tense my muscles had been, and I rolled my shoulders to release some of the stress.

Making my way to the gym, I immediately knew something was up with Bella when I met her on the bleachers. Her face was scrunched up and her eyes were glassy as if she wanted to cry. Something had happened between lunch and now, and I was determined to get to the bottom of it. "What happened?" I asked, plopping down right next to her and leaning down so I could keep an eye on her face.

She glanced at me and forced out a laugh that sounded painful. "Am I that easy to read?" she questioned.

"You're my sister, so yes. Now, cough it up. What's got you so upset, Bell?"

She took a deep breath, and I could hear how it shuttered. "It's really stupid."

"Not if it has you like this; even if it is, I'll still listen." So, she proceeded to tell me how much of a douche-nozzle Edward Cullen had been to her in their biology class. I'd normally be angry with someone making Bella feel bad, but a different kind of anger was flooding my system at that moment. I felt like I could kill someone, which was not a good feeling to have at all.

"Well, fuck him. Who gives a shit what he thinks? If he bothers you again, let me know, and I'll deal with him," I hissed, clenching my fists to try and keep myself steady.

Bella, sensing my anger, put a hand on my shoulder to calm me. "Woah, calm down. It's not like we're in elementary and he's some bully that needs to be dealt with. I can handle myself," she soothed. I took deep breaths and nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I just don't like that he was looking at you like that for no reason. The hell is his problem?"

"Maybe he was just having a bad day?" she suggested.

I rolled my eyes and focused on the different volleyball games going on. _Bad day my ass._

The bell finally rang, and Bella and I slowly made our way towards the main office, still recapping our days. Other than the whole Edward situation, she'd had a semi-decent day that was much like my own. As we stepped through the doors, I could feel my face morph into a frown.

Edward Cullen was standing at the desk and arguing with Mrs. Cope about changing his schedule-about changing out of biology, to be more precise. My anger steadily built the longer I listened to him talk. When the door opened again, and a girl came in to quickly drop off a paper, he stopped talking and slowly glanced over his shoulder to look at Bella. His eyes were black and filled with hatred as he looked at her. I didn't need the voice in my head to know that he was dangerous at this moment. Rather than have the urge to run away, my body tensed in preparation of a fight. I wasn't sure if I'd win, but he wouldn't get to Bella without getting through me.

As I took a step forward, his eyes flickered to me, and I could see the conflict hidden behind his gaze. The hatred was gone, but he looked like he was having an internal battle with himself. I couldn't even begin to guess what about.

Looking back to Mrs. Cope, he sent her a strained smile. "Never mind, then," he said hastily, "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." And with that, he was grabbing his jacket and rushing out of the room like his ass was on fire. My eyes followed him all the way out until I couldn't see him anymore. Only then did Bella and I step up to the desk he'd just left.

She asked us about our day, and I was sure we both lied. Once we walked out of the building, I couldn't contain my anger any longer. "I swear, if he ever looks at you like that again I'm going to rip his head off and set his ass on fire then set his ashes on fire," I growled, glaring in the direction he'd walked in. I could see his family walking towards a silver Volvo and assumed that was where he was. I glared daggers into the driver's seat, hoping he saw me.

"Jeesh, Addie, calm down! You don't have to be so upset," Bella attempted to soothe, but I was too riled up.

"No, I do have to be upset, Bella! He looked at you like you were the scum of the earth, and I'm not just gonna sit here and let that slide. You didn't do jack shit to him, and you didn't deserve what happened in biology or what happened in that office. I could just about kill him right now." And I meant it. I was just that angry right now. The urge to punch or hit something was so strong that it began to consume my thoughts.

My gaze was fixed on the Volvo, and I could just about make out Edward's black eyes from inside. Suddenly, a wave of unnatural calm washed over me, and I sucked in a much-needed breath. Bella was looking at me with wide shocked eyes, and I could tell she was worried about me. Shaking my head, I tried not to focus on all the negative thoughts hovering around the outskirts of my mind.

"Sorry, Bell. I don't know what came over me. I just got so mad and it was all I could focus on. I guess today got to me more than I thought," I apologized, forcing a small smile.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'd bet. Maybe you should go for a drive before meeting me and Dad at the diner?"

I let out a breath in a sigh. She always knew things that would cheer me up. "Yeah, that sounds nice. I'll meet you there in about half an hour. If you need to order something for me, a salad is fine. I'm not that hungry anyway." She nodded and we both got into our own cars. I was out of the parking lot before her and driving down a random road. The sound of the engine and the light rain were all I heard as I let myself get lost in them, my anger nearly forgotten.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Just some fawning over Edward, what else is new? Also, remember to feel free to tell me whatever you'd like to see carried over from the old version. I'm open to suggestions. **_

* * *

Edward didn't come back to school for a week.

All his siblings were still there bright and early, standing beside the silver Volvo, but he was nowhere to be found. It was for the best that he wasn't around. My anger had returned the next day, and I'd been a bit too eager to glare him down at the lunch table. When I saw that his spot was empty, all that anger seemed to flush away and morph into disappointment. Bella and I had planned exactly what we were going to say to him about his behavior, and it was all for nothing.

As the days continued to pass, my anger eventually fizzled into nothing, and I was just left curious about his whereabouts. His family was still around, but he was gone for some reason. Even though Alice and Emmett had taken to smiling and waving at me when they saw me, I wasn't comfortable enough with them to ask about where their brother was. I was nowhere near bold enough to do something like that. Odds were, they probably wouldn't even tell me if I did ask. Edward must have told them about the hardcore glaring I'd been doing at his car.

Despite the negative first impression he'd left, I couldn't help but feel anxious whenever I thought of him. Was he alright wherever he was? Would he come back? Was he okay? The questions kept bouncing around my head and kept me up until the early hours in the morning. I'd been getting only three hours of sleep each night, yet I somehow woke up feeling as refreshed as ever… minus the frustration that came whenever I thought of his stupidly perfect face.

The weekend flew by quickly and Monday returned again which meant another week back at Forks High School.

Once we both parked and got out, people waved at us and we returned them with waves and smiles of our own. The attention had died down a bit, but not enough to be completely comfortable. I spotted Bella's-and I guess my-group of friends standing next to Tyler's van, and my smile felt a bit more genuine. They had their flaws, but they were a decent group of people to hang around with.

We hung around close to the building for a little bit before splitting up when the bell rang and we went to our morning classes. Whoever made my schedule and put math as the first class, I wanted to go up to them and give them a nice slap across the face. Finding the strength to focus on linear regression lines was nearly impossible. Mrs. King wasn't a bad teacher at all, but she'd been unlucky getting a student like me who detested anything to do with calculators or math in general.

English was a bit better. Over the week, I'd gotten more used to Emmett's presence and didn't tense up involuntarily whenever he shifted anymore. He was actually a pretty cool and funny guy. We'd taken to passing each other notes during class with jokes to see who could make the other laugh first. I was in the lead, 12-8. He was stepping up his game, getting more competitive with each snicker he let out. I was sure Mr. Moor was getting fed up with us, but he seemed too afraid of Emmett to say anything about it.

When the bell rang, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways to our classes. Nothing interesting really happened until the bell for lunch rang. Stepping outside, the air was full of swirling bits of white and the excited chatter of nearly all the student body. Though I didn't have a problem with the rain, it was nice to see a change for once. The only time I'd seen snow before was on t.v., so I took a moment to just stand there and soak in the feeling.

"Heads up, Swan!" That was all the warning I got before a compressed ball of snow was being hurled in my direction. Without thinking much of it, I swerved out of the way last minute and dodged it completely. I looked around for a bit and met the shocked eyes of Mike.

Narrowing my eyes playfully, I secured my bag on my back and bent down to gather a handful of mush in my hands. Surprisingly, it wasn't as cold as I thought it'd be. Seeing what I was planning to do, his eyes lit up and he began trying to duck around to throw off my aim. It was pointless, in the end. My snowball hit him smack between his brows and exploded into smaller chunks.

Eric and Tyler, who were nearby, cheered and congratulated me on my aim. Mike attempted to throw another snowball, but, yet again, I dodged before pelting him on the head with another snowball. Instead of waiting for him to get another one, I called for a ceasefire and shuffled towards the cafeteria as fast as I dared. The three of them met me in the line, and Mike's smile was bright despite the way he narrowed his eyes at me.

"This isn't over, Swan. I'm totally getting payback after lunch is over," he threatened, picking out a burger and soggy-looking fries. I stuck with my usual apple juice and a small carton of strawberry ice cream as a splurge. It had always been my favorite.

I smirked at him and rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I'd love to see you miss again, Newton." Tyler and Eric held their hands up for high fives, and I slapped them happily.

Mike wagged a finger at me. "Very funny. Just you wait." When we all had our trays, we moved to the table that they had claimed as their own, and I sat next to Bella. As Mike began to plan an epic battle of the blizzard, Bella looked at me curiously, and Tyler and Eric took over the story with plenty of embellishments.

As they continued to tell the story, I took a glance around the cafeteria and froze when I spotted five people sitting at the Cullen table instead of the four that I had gotten used to. Edward was back. I wanted to get angry like I had been at the beginning of the week, but all I could feel was relieved that he was safe and nothing had happened to him while he was away.

They were all laughing, I noticed. It seemed like they'd also taken advantage of the snow to joke around, well, at least Edward, Emmett, and Jasper had. Emmett was shaking his wet hair towards Alice and Rosalie as they tried their best to block the drops from getting on their clothes. Edward and Jasper looked on with smiles on their faces. I focused more on Edward. His skin looked less pail and the bags under his eyes were less noticeable. Speaking of eyes, his were no longer the hateful black I remembered. Instead, they were the same honey-gold as the rest of his family. _Odd._

"You're staring pretty hard at the Cullens," Mike pointed out. It was at that moment that Edward's eyes flickered up to my own. I couldn't find it in myself to keep his gaze and quickly looked away.

"Uh, yeah. I was just surprised to see them so lively today. They don't usually look so happy and carefree." That wasn't a complete lie either. Over the week that I had seen them, the only thing they did at lunch was stare in opposite directions and occasionally speak to their significant other. Not once had I seen them laugh like they were now.

Mike glanced at them, and it wasn't hard to see that he didn't care for them much. Nobody seemed to, really. "I guess you're right. Anyways, are you in?"

I correctly assumed he was talking about the snowball fight he'd been planning since we'd sat down. I bobbed my head while sticking a spoonful of ice cream into my mouth. "Yeah, totally," I said once it had melted, "it'll give me a chance to work on my aim."

Thankfully, the guys at the table distracted him, and I was free to continue enjoying my "lunch". I was halfway through the tub when Bella nudged me in the side. "I think Edward Cullen is staring over here." Her head was down, and she was using her hair as a shield to block him from view.

"You want me to check and see if he's glaring at you again?" I asked, sticking another spoonful into my mouth. It wasn't the best ice cream, but it was strawberry, so it was fine.

"No, don't look over there," she hissed.

"Too late~" I sang while turning in my chair and locking eyes with Edward once again. Bella groaned and let her head fall into her hands, and I let out an amused chuckle. "If it makes you feel any better, he's not staring at you. He's staring at me." For some reason unknown to me.

She looked at me from the corner of her eye, being careful not to look in his direction. "He's probably thinking about how you glared him down last week," she half-joked.

"You think he's scared I'll attack him with all my hundred-something pounds?"

She let out a laugh through her nose, sitting up straighter. "With those guns? Oh, yeah," she joked. We laughed at each other and talked for the remainder of lunch. I refrained from turning back to the Cullen table even when I could feel his eyes still boring a hole into my back.

I gave Bella a good luck pat on the back before following Mike outside to pelt him with more snowballs. To everyone's disappointment (besides Bella), it was raining and all remnants of snow were being washed down the pavement in icy ribbons. "You got lucky, Swan," Mike joked, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Yeah, yeah. See you later." I waved at him and made my way to my next class. Rosalie and Emmett were already there when I entered. I waved at Emmett but made no other move to speak with him. I'd be lying if I said Rosalie didn't intimidate me.

That class passed quickly, and I was eager to get to the gym so Bella could update me on the Edward situation. Maybe that week away had been enough to get whatever stick he had up his ass taken care of. I changed into the gym uniform I'd been given and made my way over to where Bella stood on the court. We were playing racketball, it seemed.

"Alright, spill everything." She didn't seem as miserable as she had last week, so I assumed things had gone better.

Low and behold, I was right, and Bella recapped every word of the conversation they'd had. The fact that he'd actually talked to her eased my conscious enough, but his apology was the icing on the cake. Any anger or negative feelings I had towards him were squashed to absolute nothingness, and I was weirdly proud that he'd manned up and apologized to my sister.

"He wanted to apologize to you too, you know?" she revealed, stepping away from the ball that was headed in our direction. I swatted it away and looked at her with furrowed brows.

"Really? Why?"

She shrugged. "I guess he noticed how mad you were last week and wanted to apologize for coming off as rude." _Huh… that was strange but thoughtful._ The rest of gym continued with us talking about random things and me stopping Bella from being pelted at every corner. Any time I saw the ball coming anywhere near her, I'd step up and swat it away, saving the rest of the students from the tragedy that was Bella with any sports equipment.

As we got dressed again once the bell rang, Bella told me that she needed to speak with a teacher about an assignment that had begun when she wasn't in school and promised to meet up with me once she was done. Since it wasn't raining, I settled for waiting for her beside my car with my headphones in. No music was playing in them, but it served as a deterrent to people like Mike coming up and talking to me.

Despite this, however, one person still came over to me, and it was the last person I expected. "Hello." My eyes widened, and I took out my headphones to give him my full attention. "My name is-"

"Edward Cullen, I know," I interrupted. It was a bit rude, but I'd dealt with so many people giving me the scoop on his family that it was impossible not to know who he was.

He smiled, and I had to remember to take a breath. "You're Addison Swan, right?" I was sure he knew the answer to that, but I nodded anyway. "I just wanted to apologize for my behavior last week. I wasn't feeling well." _Not feeling well is an understatement._ He looked at Bella like she was the only one he had a bone to pick with.

"Must have been one rough day," I quipped, staring at him for any sign of lies. He was either telling the truth (which I doubted) or he was one hell of a liar because his face gave nothing away.

"It was. I'm sorry if I gave off a bad first impression. That wasn't my intention." Gosh, the more he spoke the harder it was to focus on anything besides his voice. It hit my ears as smooth as butter. I was sure he could read me the entire dictionary, and I wouldn't get bored.

I shrugged. "You did, but since you apologized to Bella, I guess all is forgiven." There was a lull in the conversation that quickly became awkward. I was tempted to put my headphones back in and pretend to be busy on my phone, but he suddenly spoke again.

"So, how are you liking Forks? I heard your sister doesn't care for it much, and I'm curious to get your perspective." He leaned closer to me, and I suddenly became aware of our proximity. He was close enough so I could smell him. I wasn't really sure how to describe it, but it was like every good thing put into one. I'd never been attracted to a person's smell before, but Edward was opening my eyes.

Realizing that he was still waiting for an answer, I quickly shook my head and pretended like there wasn't a part of my mind memorizing the exact shade of his hair. "Um… it's a big change from Phoenix, I'll tell you that. There's green everywhere, and it's rained more times here than it has there in months, and I've only been here a little over a week."

"So you don't enjoy it," he assumed. My mind was now cataloging the exact shade of gold in his eyes.

I shook my head. "I never said that. I love the sound of the rain; it helps me sleep. While I'd love to see a color other than green, it's not the worst color out there."

He smiled. "And what would the worst color be?"

"Orange," I replied without hesitation.

"What's your favorite color?" he asked. My eyes glanced over his shoulder, and I saw his family-along with a good chunk of the student body-looking at us intently. I could also see Bella coming out of the building from the corner of my eye and knew we should cut the conversation short.

"I'd tell you, but I'm sure your family will get upset if they have to wait any longer." He looked back quickly as if he'd forgotten that they were there, before turning back to me.

"You're right." _Did he sound disappointed or was that my ears playing a trick on me?_ "I'll see you tomorrow, Addison." He walked backwards a few steps before turning and making his way to his family.

"Yeah, sure," I muttered, my mind still a bit cloudy from his presence. My eyes followed him to his car until Bella's voice snapped me out of it.

"What'd you two talk about?" I tore my eyes away from his butt to look at Bella's curious face.

It took me a moment to snap out of the Edward-induced haze, and I found my cheeks heating up slightly. "Uh, I'll tell you when we get home. It's getting cold out here, don't you think?" As if I'd hit a switch, Bella shivered and hurried into her truck. I followed suit and got into my own car, quickly turning up the heat even though I wasn't that cold.

It wasn't like I was trying to hide the conversation from her or anything. I was just worried that I'd go blushing and putting ideas in her head. I also wasn't sure why just talking with him had gotten me so flustered. Not even a week ago, I had hated the guy, now I was nearly reduced to a blushing little girl with her first crush. I needed at least a few minutes to calm down my racing thoughts before I spoke to her about Edward.

As I pulled out of the parking lot, I couldn't help but sneak a peek in his direction. He was sitting behind the steering wheel, and even through the tint of both our windows I could see his eyes trained solely on me. I looked away, as to not hit the car in front of me, and kept my eyes forward despite the strong urge to keep staring into his hypnotic eyes. _What is Edward Cullen doing to me?_


	6. Chapter 6

_**This one is a bit longer as well because this is the chapter with the car accident. Also, this is the last chapter that I had already written, so the rest will be posted whenever I have the urge to write. My priority is my Wattpad account, so there's a chance it could take months for the next update or maybe weeks or days. I'm not really sure, it all depends on how bored I am and what I have to do. I also have about five other stories from other fandoms that I write in my free time, so I don't get bored... if that tells you anything about when this may be updated. I am in a decent Twilight phase at the moment though, so don't lose hope, if you're enjoying this. **_

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Waking up the next morning, I noticed that light wasn't flooding through my window like normal. A quick look at the clock by my bedside gave me the reason why. It was currently 4:25 am, aka not nearly the time I needed to be awake. Despite this, I couldn't find it in myself to lie back down and go to sleep. My body was wide awake and ready for the coming day.

Groaning, I kicked my legs in frustration for a bit before finally sitting up. There was no reason to just sit and revel in my boredom. Pushing myself off the mattress, I trekked to the bathroom and leisurely went through my morning routine.

Once I was feeling fresh and clean, I slowly made my way downstairs, not wanting the creaking to wake anyone else in the house. To my surprise, the door was unlocked and I could easily make out the sound of Charlie doing something in the front yard. By the sounds of it, it had to do with metal. Curious, I threw on one of the coats that were hanging by the door and stepped outside to see what he was doing. Snow covered the ground in a thick blanket, and I could feel the cold instantly trying to slip past the thick barrier protecting me.

He looked up from where he was crouched by one of the tires on Bella's truck and sent me an acknowledging head nod. "What are you doing up so early?" he asked, going back to work.

"I could ask you the same thing. What are you up to?" I moved closer to try and get a good look over his shoulder.

He glanced back at me. "I'm installing snow tires on Bella's truck." He stood after pulling on the chain to check if it was secure enough. "I'm just about done, I just have to do that other side. The roads are gonna be pretty icy, and I want to make sure you two are safe. Speaking of, you mind riding with Bells till this snow clears up? It'll give your old man some piece of mind." His brown eyes met my own, and I could tell just how much he cared about the two of us, making my heart and throat clench with emotion. I could also tell, from our proximity, that the blood was steadily filling his cheeks from a mixture of the cold and his embarrassment. My throat clenched even more.

I bobbed my head, trying to ignore the sudden ache I felt. "Yeah, no problem, Dad." He nodded to himself and moved to the other side of the truck to continue working on the snow chains. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Nah, I've got it pretty much covered. You should go back inside and stay warm while ya can," he urged.

"Alright then. I'll leave you to it. Don't freeze out here, okay?"

"Will do," he called back, holding up a gloved thumbs up from the side of the truck. I smiled and turned to head back inside, making sure to close the door behind me but not lock it.

Hanging the coat back up, I made my way to the kitchen. When it came to cooking, I was much like Charlie and Mom. I could make basic things like sandwiches and navigate a microwave pretty well, but anything outside of that was a guaranteed disaster. Bella was much better in that aspect. Thankfully, it wasn't food I was after at the moment.

Grabbing a glass from the cabinet, I filled it with tap water from the sink and tipped it back, gulping it down quickly. The glass did nothing to quell the itch that was beginning to develop. Downing another glass didn't help either. My hands began to shake as my breathing escalated. A third glass only served to make the itch worse.

Seeing as water hadn't helped, I placed the glass in the sink and quietly climbed the stairs back up to my room. My mind was beginning to fall into a state of panic as I desperately tried to keep the truth at bay. Sadly, it burst through the walls I was attempting to build clearly.

_**Blood.**_

I needed it, and I needed it bad. Just thinking of the word had the small itch turning into a flame. It was manageable at the moment, but who knew how long it would last. Eventually, that flame was going to become a raging inferno just as it had been that fateful day less than two weeks ago… unless I drank blood. I'd have to go and kill an unknowable amount of animals just to keep myself in check and not go draining the entire student body of Forks High. The thought of sinking my teeth into a person's jugular was morbid, and I couldn't help but find it disgusting and mouth-watering at the same time.

_Their blood would taste amazing, way better than animal blood could ever hope to. I wonder if different humans have different tastes? What would Mike taste like? What would Tyler taste like? Does the race of a person affect the taste at all? The gender?_

I didn't notice I was drooling until a glob of saliva fell onto my hand. That sobered me up instantly. Quickly wiping away the excess saliva, I swallowed thickly and dug my fingernails into my arms, relishing in the pain to keep me sane. I'd just thought of _eating_ my friends like they were meals instead of _living and breathing human beings_! The week had been going so well that I'd allowed myself to forget what I truly was. How foolish of me.

Tonight. I'd have to sneak out of the house somehow and… _go hunting_. Gah! The thought disgusted me. I didn't want to have to be a monster that thirsted for blood. I didn't want to kill others just to survive, but those were the cards I had been dealt. My only options were to hunt the animals and suck it up (pun not intended) or risk turning into a bloodthirsty monster and killing my friends or family. Though both options sucked, they were the only ones I had. Of course, I'd go with the one that made me hate myself the least.

Tears came to my eyes, and I didn't try to stop them. After being without them, despite how short the time was, I decided not to take them for granted. Who would have thought that crying would become something I saw as a gift?

Time passed by quickly, and I could eventually hear Bella stirring in her bed. She didn't linger there for long before I heard her stumbling up and moving around. A groan followed shortly after, and I had a feeling she'd noticed the snow outside. She _really_ didn't like cold things.

Instead of listening to her like a creep, I wiped my puffy eyes and decided to hide the sadness behind mascara. Focusing on something else was exactly what I needed right now. So, I threw myself into my makeup, even taking extra time to do my eyebrows. They'd never been so even in my life.

Not long after, Bella was knocking on my door and peeking her head in to see if I was awake. "You're up early, for once," she quipped, coming further into the room to watch as I applied eyeliner.

"Couldn't sleep," I murmured, not wanting to poke my eye out by losing focus. She hummed, continuing to track my movements with her eyes. Once I was finished, I met her eyes in the mirror. "Want me to do yours?" Without hesitation, she shook her head and moved towards the door.

"And that's my cue to leave."

Hearing Charlie's cruiser pull out the driveway, I called out to her. "Oh yeah, is it cool if I ride with you this morning? My tires aren't really the best with ice." I'd let her see what Dad did on her own.

She nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll be ready to leave in half an hour."

"Got it." With that, she closed my door and returned to her room to finish getting ready. I turned back to my mirror and looked over my work. Satisfied with my makeup, I put everything away and grabbed my backpack before going downstairs to wait on Bella. I glanced towards the kitchen and shuddered at the memory of what had gone down this morning. I wasn't in the mood for breakfast.

Bella came down the stairs about 25 minutes later, and I stood from my spot on the couch. She wasn't in the mood to eat either, so we both grabbed our coats and hopped in the truck. She was so focused on getting to the truck safely that she didn't even notice the chains Dad had put on her tires. I decided not to mention it.

We cruised to school at a slow and safe speed. The truck was just as loud inside as it was outside, but it did heat up better than my car ever could. I still didn't see the appeal for the monster of a vehicle, other than the fact that it could probably tank any car that came in its path with little more than a few scratches and dents. I'd still choose my baby any day.

When we eventually made it to the school, Bella parked in her usual spot and we sat for only a moment before exiting. There were a few people who still stared at us, but most of them were over it. Our novelty was beginning to fade, to both Bella and I's pleasure.

As I was looking around the parking lot, my eyes found the silver Volvo. The Cullen family stood around it, chatting amongst themselves… all except Edward. He was staring at me. My breath caught a bit, and I forced myself to look away from him. Damn him and his effortless good looks. He'd reduced me to a blushing little girl with a single look. Now I couldn't help but wonder if he thought my makeup looked nice and cursed myself.

"Hey," Bella's voice knocked me out of my trance, "did you notice these?" Despite knowing exactly what she was talking about, I walked over to where she was standing to look at the chains on her tires.

"Yeah, I was up when Dad put them on early this morning." Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at me.

"What were you doing up _that _early?"

"I told you, I couldn't sleep, and I heard-" My words were cut off by the sound of tires screeching on the ground. Both Bella and I looked up at the same time to see Tyler's van headed straight towards us.

Time didn't slow down like it did in the movies. Instead, everything became clearer and more in focus. I could see the look of horror on Bella's face and feel her hand gripping my coat. Looking to the left, I spotted a matching look of horror on Edward's face as his eyes bore into my own. Those were the only people I had time to look at before my body was moving on its own accord.

I forced all of my weight into Bella, and she gasped as she stumbled out of the path of the van. I could hear her fall and just barely caught the sound of her head smacking against the ice. Hopefully, that didn't give her brain damage.

There wasn't enough time for me to move, and I settled for pressing myself against the truck as much as I could. My eyes were wide open as I watched the van come closer, so I saw the precise moment that Edward Cullen appeared at my side. He pushed me to the ground, and I had sense enough to break my fall with my hands so my head didn't crack against the asphalt. The van collided with the front of the truck and went spinning in my direction once again. _Can't I catch a break?!_ My eyes were still wide as I watched two pale hands shoot out protectively in front of me and force the van to a shuddering stop, leaving a dent in the side of it.

I wasn't in the clear yet. Edward's hand quickly lifted the van while the other grabbed my legs and held them up as if I weighed nothing. He moved me so that my legs hit the chain-covered tires and let go of the van. It hit the ground with a loud thud that made me cringe and glass popped into the ground around us. There was silence for only a split second before screams filled the lot. I could hear Bella's voice the clearest. She sounded panic-stricken and distraught. I let out a sigh of relief. She was okay.

"Addison? Are you all right?" Looking up, I met Edward's amber gaze once more. He sounded frantic.

I wasn't really sure what to tell him. I hadn't been hurt physically, but I could feel my heart beating erratically in my chest, and my eyes seemed to be frozen wide open. To make matters worse, my senses were on overdrive. I could hear Tyler's pained groan as well as smell a tantalizing scent that made me tense. _Blood._ The scent was invading my nostrils with every breath, and my eyes left Edward's to look at Tyler.

His head was just barely held above the steering wheel, and his eyes were so hooded that they almost looked closed. Right on his forehead, there were shards of glass sticking out and a trail of blood flowing slowly from the wound. My eyes were glued to it as I watched it trail down his face, everything around me beginning to fade out. My throat was no longer aching but _burning_ with a flame almost as painful as it had been that day. Every muscle in my body was tensing in preparation, and in that moment, I couldn't think of exactly why.

"Addison?!" Edward's panicked voice suddenly cut through my gaze, and I forced myself to look at him. His eyes were even more worried, and I became aware of the grip he had around my waist. The smell of Tyler's blood was still nagging at me, urging me to let loose and suck him dry, buy I held my breath and did my best to focus only on Edward. His earlier question returned to me, and suddenly everything became too much.

Not willing to waste the steadily declining air in my lungs, I settled for just shaking my head. It was embarrassing, but tears built up in my eyes and rolling down my cheeks. Thankfully, my makeup was waterproof, and I wouldn't look like a mess by the time I was done. I was quickly turning into a crybaby ever since that day, and I couldn't even find it in myself to be upset about it.

I was surprised when he suddenly pulled me to his chest in a hug. My face was pressed against his jacket, and one of his hands gently held the back of my head to keep me there. Thankful for the comfort, I gripped his coat tightly in my hands and took deep lungfuls of his scent as I sobbed softly. His own scent easily overpowered the smell of blood, and I clung to it like a lifeline. If I didn't, I knew I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from attacking Tyler and outing exactly what I was.

By the time I managed to get myself together, I could hear the sound of an ambulance pulling into the parking lot. I hastily wiped away the remnants of my tears and pulled away from Edward's hold despite how calm it made me feel. He was still staring at me, and I couldn't help but blush. That was embarrassing! "Thanks, and sorry about your jacket," I murmured, not wanting to breathe too much even though Tyler had already been removed from the van.

He glanced down at the tear stains for only a second before looking back at me, a small smile on his face. "I could care less about this. I'm more worried about you." I tried to ignore the way my heart fluttered in my chest. His worry didn't have any romantic meanings, and my hormones needed to get with the program.

"I'm not okay, but there's also nothing wrong physically. I'm just shaken up. I didn't hit my head or anything; you saved me before that could happen." My eyebrows furrowed as I thought about it. Edward had been standing beside his car with his family; I could picture it with perfect clarity in my mind. That was four cars away, yet he'd gotten to me almost instantly. He'd also stopped and lifted the van with his _bare hands_! Not even the strongest weightlifter could do that; one-handed no-less. Mix that with his color-changing eyes, and I had great reason to believe that he wasn't human.

His eyes were guarded as I looked at him. It was almost as if he could see where my thoughts were going and didn't like that I was making good observations. "How did you… you were by your car, yet you got here so fast. How?" I questioned, no louder than a whisper so others wouldn't hear.

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head? I was walking over to you, Addison; I was right next to you when you pushed your sister out of the way." His face was the epitome of innocence and his voice didn't give away he was lying whatsoever. He wasn't fooling me though. I knew what I saw. I'd looked at him before I'd pushed Bella, and he had still been next to his car. No one could move that fast.

"You're lying," I said bluntly, looking away as the EMTs began assisting some of the teachers and students in pulling the van, "but I won't push it for now." He looked like he wanted to protest more, but the van was being moved and there was an opening big enough for us to slip out.

Standing, I slid through the gap with Edward close behind me. As soon as I did, Bella was rushing up to me and throwing her arms around my shoulders. Tears were shining in her eyes, and I felt the urge to cry again, only repressing it because the entire student body was surrounding us. "I was so worried! I thought-"

"I know, Bells. I'm fine." I glanced at Edward who was standing a few feet to my right talking with an EMT. Our eyes met once again. "Edward Cullen was close to me when Tyler's van started to lose control. He got to me in time, and nothing happened. I don't even have a scratch on me." Lying to Bella never felt right, and I made sure Edward could tell I wasn't happy. He maintained that innocent look and I focused on Bella.

"That's a relief," she breathed. Thankfully, she'd been so focused on the tires and the van that she hadn't seen him.

"What about you? I know I pushed you pretty hard. Did you hit your head?" I knew she did, but I still had to keep up appearances.

As if she only just noticed, she winced and let out a low "Ow". Ignoring her protests, I led us to the EMT Edward had been talking to and told him that Bella would need a checkup. She tried to say she was fine, but as soon as the man put a bit of pressure on her head, she visibly cringed. That was all it took for the man to lead her towards the ambulance. It was just Edward and I for a moment, but another man came over to ask how I was doing.

"I'm completely fine, sir. My sister is the one who hit her head on the ice. I'm only a bit shaken up. It's not every day that you almost die, you know?" _It sure seemed like it to me._ I'd nearly died twice within the same month.

The man along with Edward still insisted on doing a check, and I relented, not wanting to make a scene. Edward stood only a couple feet away as the man asked me question after question, seeming to be doing his own checkup. Things were just starting to come to a close when a police siren sounded through the lot. One glance was all it took for me to see that it was Charlie. I watched as he stopped beside the ambulance they'd loaded Bella into. He talked with her for a moment before looking around the lot and meeting eyes with me. "I'm fine, really. Now, excuse me," I interrupted the man rudely before turning and meeting Dad halfway. He pulled me into a tight hug before looking me over with his own eye.

"Bella told me you were the one in the accident. Are you alright?" I nodded, getting a bit fed up with the constant questions.

"Yes, Dad, I'm fine. The van didn't even touch me. Tyler and Bella are the only ones who got hurt. I pushed her out of the way, and she hit her head," I admitted. He didn't look happy about that.

"This could have gone a completely different way, Addison. You could have been hurt or even killed! Don't ever do anything like that again," he ordered sternly.

"What else was I supposed to do, let her take the chance of getting caught up in it too? I'd rather keep her safe than myself."

He looked frustrated and sad at the same time. "I'm not saying what you did was wrong, Addie, but I hate the thought of losing either one of you." My irritation disappeared, and I sighed. I understood where he was coming from, but I knew I had a better chance of surviving an accident like that than Bella did.

"I'll ride in the ambulance with Bella. You're meeting us at the hospital?" He nodded, and we went our separate ways. I was allowed to ride in the front as we made our way to the emergency room. The entire way there, I couldn't get Edward Cullen out of my mind. _What is he hiding?_


	7. Chapter 7

_**This chapter is shorter than the others; it just goes over more of the aftermath after the accident. Addison confronts Edward. Any constructive criticism is welcome.**_

_**EDIT 04/04/2020: Big thanks to DarkScarlet19610 for pointing out a consistency error I made in this chapter with Bella's truck and Addison's car! I hadn't even noticed before.**_

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Sitting in the waiting room was hell. I was bombarded with person after person coming up to me and asking if I was okay and what happened. I dodged the second question as best as I could by answering the first, hoping they dropped it. Thankfully, they did and were appeased, but that didn't stop even the people I didn't know from coming up and continuing the cycle.

Things would have been easier if Edward were here to help take some of the attention off me, but he'd disappeared as soon as I spotted him, the ass. So, I was left to be the center of attention while Charlie sat stiffly beside me. His worry for Bella was too great to even attempt to help me with the crowd of teens in the room.

Angela, Mike, Eric, and Jessica were the most incorrigible, but I had a bit more patience with them than I did with the rest of the people in the room. They wanted a full recap of everything with as many details as I could remember, and while I'd already given Bella the excuse Edward had given me, I felt wary telling everyone that. What if someone had seen Edward and known that he wasn't where he said he was? Something told me it would be bad for everyone to know, so I kept trying to change the subject as best as I could. When that didn't work, I made up the excuse of needing to go outside for air and wanting to be alone.

As soon as I stepped outside the doors, I took in a deep breath, relieved to be away from so many people. I was starting to focus a bit too much on how they smelled, and I didn't want to do something I'd hate myself for. To my surprise, a familiar figure was leaning against the building, looking off into the trees. He turned to look at me as I made my way closer to him.

"So, this is where you've been the entire time? You could have at least helped me deal with the mob of students in there." He chuckled, and I hated that the sound made my heart flutter. He was too handsome for his own good.

"My apologies. That wasn't very nice of me, I know. I just tend to stay away from crowds." He seemed to be back to acting like the nice Edward from a day ago. I had a feeling it was a part of his innocent act to get me to not ask questions. Too bad for him, my curiosity couldn't be forgotten so easily.

Standing a few feet away from him, I made sure my voice was low so no passersby would overhear. "Can I have an explanation now?" The smile on his face vanished, quickly being replaced by a tense look.

"An explanation for what?"

I rolled my eyes. "Please, don't treat me like I'm an idiot, Edward. You know exactly what I'm talking about. I want to know the truth and not some BS excuse."

His eyes were narrowed, all signs of pleasantry gone. "Well, what do you _think_ happened?" he snapped.

My voice was even and calm as I responded. "I _know_ that you were standing exactly four cars away from me with your family when Tyler's van lost control. I looked right at you. You weren't in the process of walking over or anything like you say. When you somehow got over to me, I didn't hit my head on the ground like you want me to believe, and my eyes were wide open as I watched you stop the van with your bare hands, but I don't see so much as a bruise on you." It sounded crazy, almost unbelievable, but I'd been bitten by a vampire, so the unbelievable wasn't so far out there.

His face was tense, defensive. "Nobody will believe that, you know." _He didn't deny what I saw, at least._

"Who said I was going to tell anyone? I just want to know for myself. I don't lie for just any old stranger. Besides, what would I gain from telling people? Nothing, that's what."

Surprise flitted across his face, but he schooled it quickly. "Can't you just thank me and get over it?"

_I hadn't thanked him, had I?_ "Thank you, Edward, for saving me from the van and comforting me while I was losing it, but if you expect me to just go on about my life like I didn't see what I know I saw, then you're completely wrong."

"In that case… I hope you enjoy disappointment." We both scowled at each other in silence for a few moments. The fact that he was keeping a secret wasn't what was bothering me anymore, it was the fact that he was belittling my intelligence that was infuriating.

Rather than continue the argument, I let out a sharp breath through my nose and turned on my heel. I didn't look back at him as I walked through the hospital doors. It was almost perfect timing too because Bella was walking into the waiting room a few seconds later. Dad and I were instantly by her side.

"There's nothing wrong with me," she assured, looking like she wanted to be anywhere besides the waiting room. I understood her discomfort.

"What did the doctor say?" Dad asked.

"Dr. Cullen saw me, and he said I was fine and I could go home, so can we please go?" she urged as some of our classmates began to come closer. We'd be held up forever if they came and started asking the same repetitive questions, so I was in complete agreeance.

I followed behind Dad and Bella as they walked past the crowd of students and out the door. Even though I was still annoyed, I couldn't help but look at where Edward and I had been talking not too long ago. He was gone.

* * *

The ride home was mostly silent. The only words spoken were Dad suggesting that I stay home as well, even though I was completely fine. I had a feeling a part of it was to keep an eye on Bella, so I agreed. It would also give me the chance I needed to satisfy my monstrous craving.

When we were inside, Charlie left us with the tip that we should call Renee, and both Bella and I groaned. No doubt, she was overreacting and planning a flight down to Forks to check up on us herself. The last thing I wanted was her breathing down my neck and hovering. She was great at that.

Turning to Bella, I held out a fist. "Rock, paper, scissors to see who has to call Mom?" She nodded and held up her own fist. I won the first round, and she demanded us to do the best two out of three. When I proceeded to win the next round, she sighed defeatedly while I cheered. "I'll leave you to it."

After she disappeared up the stairs, I waited around for a few minutes before leaving the house as quietly as I could. The ache in my throat was impossible to ignore, and it was time I dealt with it.

Following the same path I'd taken that tragic first day in Forks, I made sure I was far from any people before stopping and closing my eyes. Going from vampire to human had been moderately simple, so doing the opposite shouldn't be hard either.

_**Just focus on that day.**_

Though it was a memory I'd rather forget, my mind went back to the last time I'd been this deep in the woods. I could recall the pain, the fear, and the helplessness clearly. I could also picture the face of my attacker. It was a bit blurry in my memories, but I knew it would be stuck in my head for the rest of my life. He was the one who'd ripped my humanity away from me.

It was a bit hard to notice the changes at first. Only when the ache in my throat became a raging inferno did I realize that I was no longer human. My hand shot up to my throat as I tried to relieve at least a little of my pain, but it was useless. Only one thing would help me now.

Trying to focus on the sounds around me rather than the fire in my throat was difficult, but I managed to pick up a familiar sound.

_Ba-dump_. _Ba-dump_. _Ba-dump_.

Opening my eyes, I shot off like a bullet and let my senses lead me to a couple of deer. My mind went blank not too long after.

* * *

A couple of hours later, I was walking back into the house feeling more refreshed than I had been in weeks. Bella was coming down the stairs soon after.

"Where did you go?" She questioned, looking at me suspiciously.

"I walked back to the school to get the truck," I responded easily, holding up her keys for emphasis. I'd had sense enough to do that after sating my blood-lust. The walk was a long one, but it had given me time to clear my head and relax a bit.

Her eyes went wide. "You walked all the way there? Why didn't you just get Dad to drop you off when we left the hospital?" she questioned, watching me as I hung my-now dirty-coat up on the rack.

"He needed to get back to work, and I needed some time to clear my head after all the craziness that went on today. "

"We could have just rode in your car to school tomorrow instead of you going all that way. That would have been way simpler."

I shrugged. "Whelp, the past is the past. I got your truck, and you don't have to worry about it tomorrow," I said while handing her the keys I'd nabbed from the counter earlier today.

She seemed to be a bit exasperated with me but let the subject go. She then ran over the conversation she had with Mom before disappearing up to her room to take a nap. Just as I thought, Mom had been in hysterics, and I was glad I hadn't been the one to call her.

Following Bella's lead, I walked up to my room and closed the door behind me. After changing into more comfortable clothes, I fell onto my bed and instantly felt drowsy. It was as if the lack of sleep I'd been getting was suddenly catching up with me, and I was helpless to resist sleep.

My dreams were filled with running through the forest and Edward Cullen's face, much to my annoyance.


	8. Chapter 8

_**This chapter is a bit short as well, but I don't mind. It gets everything it needs to across. I'm also debating whether or not Eren will play a bigger role in the story. Maybe the love triangle that Twilight is known for? Please review, and constructive criticism is always welcome.**_

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The next month consisted of Bella and I doing our best to handle the spotlight that seemed to be turned back in our direction. It had just begun to fade, but Tyler _had _to lose control of his van and throw us right back into the beaming light.

Speaking of Tyler, he'd become insufferable. He followed me around, obsessed with trying to make amends somehow. No matter how many times I told him to forget about it and move on, he still came back to bother me about it the next day. It had quickly become annoying, and I was tempted to tell him to fuck off plenty of times. Only the fact that he was basically a friend kept me from being so harsh.

Something else I had to deal with was my _thirst_. A week after _hunting_, I would begin to feel an itch in my throat that was only mildly annoying. After another week, the itch would turn into an aching that was impossible to ignore. I also noticed that food became less appetizing compared to the people around me. That was a clear sign that I needed to go hunting again. I was too scared to wait any longer, not wanting to slip up and accidentally hurt someone. I'd come close once more when someone got a papercut in class, but I caught myself at the last moment and went for a walk after school. It was difficult and annoying to deal with, but I somehow managed.

Everything was otherwise normal, besides Edward, of course. He wasn't speaking to Bella more than he absolutely had to in Biology, and he didn't spare so much as a glance in the direction of our table during lunch. If we did happen to make eye contact, we'd look away quickly with narrowed eyes. Seeing him never failed to irritate me. He was acting like a child. It wasn't like I'd asked him to save me and expose his freaky behavior. That was all on him.

His attitude didn't seem to spread to any of the other Cullens, besides Rosalie, that is. Alice still smiled and waved whenever she saw me, and Emmett was still his playful self during English. Rosalie, however, seemed to glare at me whenever she had the chance, and I couldn't understand why. I'd done nothing to warrant her negative behavior, yet I seemed to be at the top of her shit-list. I ignored it for the most part, but sometimes it was hard when she was glaring daggers into my back.

So, other than that, everything continued on as usual. The new topic of discussion around the school recently had been the girls' choice spring dance coming up in two weeks. I wasn't the best dancer out there, but I thought it could be pretty fun. There wasn't anyone who had really caught my eye, but I wasn't against going on my own. It would be a fun time with or without a partner.

As if my thoughts were being broadcast to everyone in the school, a guy I had a couple of classes with, Eren, called out to me in the hall during passing period. "Hey, Addison, got a minute?" I was on my way to lunch, so I wouldn't be late or anything.

Not thinking much of it, I stopped and turned around to face him. "Yeah. What's up?"

He pulled at the straps of his backpack and smiled in a way that I'm sure most girls would fall for. I could admit, he was handsome, but he wasn't really my type. "I was wondering if you were planning on going to the spring dance?"

Seeing where this was going, I couldn't stop my cheeks from flushing even if I tried. "Uh… I was thinking about it, but I'm not sure."

"Well, if you do decide to go and are looking for a date, I'm available, and it would be cool if you asked me. I definitely would not say no." I noticed the slight pink on his cheeks as well, and that made me blush harder. I wasn't exactly used to being asked out by guys. I mean, it had happened before, but all the guys before had been assholes. Eren was a good guy from what I had seen, and I wasn't getting any bad vibes from him.

Smiling shyly, I nodded. "I'll definitely keep that in mind."

His smile widened and he nodded to himself. "Cool. That's cool." We both stood awkwardly for a moment before he pointed somewhere over his shoulder. "Well, I've got to go make up a test, but I'll see you in class."

"Yeah, see you." I gave a quick wave before turning on my heel and making my way to the cafeteria. That had been completely unexpected.

After going through the line and grabbing a tray, I seated myself next to Bella, and she immediately knew something was up. "What happened?" she asked. I glanced at Jessica and noticed that she was silently eating her lunch, which was odd considering she'd normally be eager to join the conversation.

Ignoring it, I answered Bella. "Uh… so, I was kind of just asked to the spring dance."

"I thought it was girls' choice," Bella said. Her eyes were wide with shock, but she still looked confused. I didn't get a chance to respond before Mike was cutting in.

"Did you say yes?" I looked in his direction to see him, Eric, and Tyler looking on with interest. I hadn't thought they'd be interested in such information but decided to answer him anyway.

I shrugged. "I didn't say yes or no. I'm not sure if I'm going or not. If I do decide to go, I wouldn't be opposed to going with him though. He is the only one to have approached me so far, and I don't plan on asking anyone."

"You're really thinking about going?" Bella asked, as of the very idea of going to a dance disgusted her, which it probably did. She wasn't anywhere close to coordinated and was quite possibly one of the worst dancers I had ever seen, so it was obvious that she wasn't going to be attending. I could probably convince her to go with me if I tried, but I knew she wouldn't have fun being there.

"Yeah. I mean, it'll be nice to experience as much as I can during my last year of high school. I'm on the fence about it because trying to find a dress and accessories and being around a bunch of people doesn't sound the best." Being completely honest, I was scared that someone might hurt themselves and start bleeding around me. Dancing could be pretty dangerous, and I didn't want to ruin the night by killing someone.

The topic was eventually changed to the beach trip Mike had been planning for a while in La Push. I couldn't imagine how a beach in this part of Washington could compare to the ones in Phoenix, but I was willing to give it a shot if the plans didn't fall through. I wasn't even completely against trying out surfing since Mike was hyping it up so much. It would be a new and exciting experience.

The rest of the school day went by normally. As I was walking out of the building and towards my car, thinking about the homework I had to do, I heard a familiar voice call out to me. I froze and slowly turned to see Edward Cullen standing in front of me. His eyes weren't guarded as they had been for the past month, and I regarded him curiously.

"Oh? I thought we'd had an unspoken agreement to hardly look in each other's direction. Are we on speaking terms now?" I asked, unable to hide the slight venom in my tone.

His lips twitched, fighting a smile. "No, not really." Irritation flared within me, and rather than play whatever game he was playing, I turned around and began to continue my way to my car. "Wait." I stopped and turned back to him with a huff.

"What do you want, Edward?" Annoyance was clear in my voice.

"I'm sorry. I'm being very rude, I know, but it's really better this way."

I sighed. "What are you talking about?"

"It's better if we're not friends," he explained. "Trust me."

I stared at him, trying to comprehend what he was saying. _He approached me… just to say we shouldn't be friends?_ What kind of crap was that? Steeling my features, I nodded. "Alright then." This time, I walked away without caring to look back at his expression. I had a feeling that hadn't been what he was expecting.

As I approached my car, I noticed Eric leaning against it, to my irritation and Bella's truck already out of the lot. "Hey Eric," I greeted, opening my door and throwing my bag in so he couldn't hold me up for long.

"Hi, Addison."

"So, what's up?" I asked, standing behind the door so I could make a quick escape if need be.

"Uh, I was just wondering… if you would go to the spring dance with me?" His voice broke on the last word. I could tell he was nervous and more than a bit awkward, and I felt kind of bad.

Not wanting to hurt his feelings, I smiled and joked, "Weren't you at the table when we talked about it being girls' choice?"

He blushed and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, yeah, but I heard how only one guy had approached you and… well, I wanted you to know that I'd want to go with you too, so you have more than one option."

"Uh, thanks for asking, but I'm sure I know someone who would love to go to the dance with you more than me." His eyes widened, surprised.

"Who?"

"I'm not going to say a name because it's not my place, but I have a feeling she's just working up the courage to ask you." Angela hadn't been the best at hiding her small crush on Eric. I saw the looks she would give him during lunch and how she'd perked up and glanced at him when the dance was brought up. I wouldn't betray her friendship by going with him.

He still looked downtrodden. "Oh," he said. "Well, save me a dance if you do go?"

I gave a half-hearted, "Sure," in response. He slouched away, and I hated being the reason for his mood. He'd get over it eventually, though.

I was just about to escape into my car when another voice called out to me. I was tempted to pretend like I couldn't hear him, but decided against it and sighed. Almost as if he'd been lying in wait, Mike came over to me and proceeded to ask the exact same question as Eric. More than ready to leave, I forewent the guessing game.

"I think you should go with Jessica. She seems to really like you." The girl was so obvious it almost hurt.

He faltered as if that wasn't the answer he was looking for. "Yeah, she already asked me, but I said I'd think about it just in case you wanted to ask me."

My eyes narrowed. "Well, that's pretty rude. You shouldn't keep her waiting. I think you should go with Jessica." Thoroughly discouraged, he nodded and slouched off as well. Not wanting to deal with anyone else, I jumped in my car and hurried to start the engine and pull out.

I could see Edward's Volvo beginning to pull out in front of me, no doubt to wait for his family, so I sped up a bit to get in front of him. It was a close call, but I just barely cut him off, and I couldn't even find it in myself to feel bad. I knew he was looking at me, but I didn't even spare him a glance as I sped out of the parking lot, eager to get away from any and all guys. There was only so much I could handle in a day.


	9. Chapter 9

_**This chapter is basically just a bunch of dialogue between Edward and Addison. I didn't notice while I was typing, and I'm too lazy to go and shorten it. I hope you still enjoy it despite that. **_

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It was raining the next day, and I waited until the last possible moment to get out of the car. The hood of my coat was pulled far over my head and I was watching the ground for puddles, so I didn't notice that I was walking right towards a familiar figure until he was right in front of me. One look at the expensive shoes and I knew exactly who it was. Rather than stop and greet him, I swerved out of the way and kept walking. To my annoyance, he began walking in step with me. It was like he'd been waiting for me.

"No good morning, Addison?" I hated the way my name rolled so smoothly off his tongue. I hid my reaction behind a disbelieving frown.

"Excuse me, was I the one who said that I don't want to be friends? No, that was _you_ literally yesterday. So, no, you don't get a good morning from me." His presence both thrilled and annoyed me at this point. It was too hard to keep up with him and his mood changes.

There was a hint of amusement in his voice. "I said that it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be," he corrected. I glanced in his direction to see a little shit-eating grin on his face. I probably would have chuckled if I wasn't so confused by him.

We were under the shelter of the cafeteria roof now, and it was easier to look at his face. "Thanks for the clarification, smart ass," I grumbled, rolling my eyes. "It really made a whole lot of sense."

"It would be more… prudent for you not to be my friend," he explained. "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Addison." His gaze was intense, and I could feel my heart stutter in my chest. He had no right to say something like that while looking so handsome. It wasn't fair.

Sighing, I tried not to let on how his words had affected me. "You're way too hard to read. One minute you're rude, then you're pleasant, then you're distant and telling me we shouldn't be friends, and now you're saying that you can't stay away from me. How do you expect me to react to this?"

He shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure. You're difficult to read yourself."

I scoffed. "And here I was thinking that my irritation was clear," I joked. His lips quirked up in a smile.

"Oh, you've made that glaringly obvious, trust me." For the first time during our conversation, I felt myself smiling. When he wasn't being an asshole, he was actually okay to talk to. A part of me wanted to keep the conversation going, but I noticed how empty the parking lot had gotten since we'd been talking.

"Well, nice chat and all, but I have to get to class. Bye." I heard him call out a goodbye of his own, but I was already jogging towards Mrs. King's class. She was nice enough, but I didn't want to push it.

Class was just getting started when I walking into the room. She gave me a look and gestured to my seat but didn't scold me. I took that as a win and sent her a sheepish grin as I went to my seat.

The morning passed relatively quickly. My thoughts wanted to keep drifting to Edward and what he had said this morning, but any time I noticed myself thinking about him, I focused more on my work or whatever the teacher was saying. For someone so frustrating, he sure was on my mind a lot.

By the time lunch came around, I wasn't eager to sit at my regular table. I'd basically rejected two of the guys there, and I had a feeling things would be awkward. I took my time walking from class, debating whether or not to just skip lunch completely. I wasn't exactly hungry-I hardly ever was these days-and I would always see Bella at the end of the day. Everything would probably be blown over by tomorrow.

I stopped by the doors and glanced inside through the window. Everyone was already sitting in their unofficial spot, and things would be even more awkward if I were to go in at this point. I was seriously debating not going inside when I spotted Edward sitting at a table separate from the rest of his family. His eyes were focused solely on me, and a crooked smile was on his face. When he was sure he had my attention, he rose a hand and motioned with a finger for me to join him. I nearly had a heart attack when he winked.

Almost in a daze, I opened the door and took a few steps towards his table. Upon realization that I should probably get my lunch first, I changed course and quickly went through the line, grabbing an apple juice and a carton of ice cream. With my 'lunch' in hand, I made my way to the table he was sitting at.

I hesitantly took a seat across from him, watching him cautiously. Considering he'd yet to speak, I assumed he was waiting on me to say something. Clearing my throat, I focused on opening my tub of ice cream so I wasn't staring at his handsome smile. "So, what's up with this: sitting at a table by yourself?" I questioned.

"Well, I'm not sitting alone, now am I?" he quipped. I glanced at him dryly before sticking a spoonful of strawberry ice cream into my mouth. It was one of the best things they had available. He continued, "I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly." My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I waited a moment to see if he would clarify, but he remained silent.

Pulling the clean spoon out of my mouth, I gestured to him with it. "You just like confusing me, don't you?"

He only smiled, changing the subject. "I think your group of friends are upset that you chose to sit with me rather than them."

"I doubt they're upset. They're probably more curious than anything." I paused. "Then again, Mike and Eric probably think I'm planning on asking you to the dance, so maybe you're right."

He smirked widely. "And are you planning on asking me?"

"Nope," I responded without hesitation. I couldn't lie, he'd probably look hot all dressed up for a dance, but his mood swings were a bit much for me to handle. Maybe if he had settled on a personality, I would have asked him.

His smirk faltered. "You're already planning on going with someone else?"

I shook my head, scooping up another spoonful of ice cream. "Not really. You don't like crowds, remember? Or was that a lie?"

He leaned back in his seat, his face a bit more guarded than before. "You remembered that, huh?"

I nodded. "Yup. I remember a _lot_." By the way his expression hardened, I knew he caught my underlying meaning. We stared at each other in silence, neither wanting to back down. I couldn't help but be curious about what was up with him. After what had happened my first night in Forks, I was eager to find out if any other supernatural beings existed. Who knows, he could be Superman in disguise, and I was itching to know.

"Since you're so eager to claim there's something _unnatural _about me, what are your theories? I'll humor you." The smile was back on his face now. I had a feeling he was just acting calm on the outside. I wondered if I could guess correctly.

"Radioactive spider?" I shot out.

He scoffed. "That's not very creative."

"Alien from another planet?"

"That's better, but still a bit out there, don't you think?"

"Hmm… fell into a vat of toxic waste?"

"Who would survive something like that?"

"A witch?"

"Did you see me cast a spell?"

"A werewolf?" He laughed aloud at that one. I huffed and twisted the cap off my apple juice to take a swig. It wasn't that funny.

"No, definitely not. Kryptonite doesn't bother me either, in case you were thinking something like Superman." _Damn._ There wasn't much else I could think of on the spot. "What if I'm not a superhero? What if I'm the bad guy?"

I hummed. "Oh."

He leaned forward, curious. "Oh?"

"You're trying to indirectly tell me you're dangerous, right?" He just looked at me, eyes full of something that I couldn't quite place. The most I could get from his expression was that he was putting his guard up again, but that was to be expected. "That may be true and all, but I don't think being dangerous necessarily makes you bad, not in your case, at least."

"You're wrong," he muttered, stealing the lid of my apple juice and spinning it. By the way his eyebrows were furrowed and his jaw was clenched, I knew he thought what he was saying was the truth. I just couldn't find it in myself to believe it.

"Actually, I don't think I am," I retorted, snatching my bottle cap back while it was mid-spin. He looked a bit surprised, probably not expecting me to do that. "If you were as bad as you apparently believe you are, you wouldn't have stopped that van in the first place. You would have let it crush me and not cared a bit. You wouldn't be sitting here casually speaking to me and letting me guess about whatever it is you're hiding. If you're as bad as you say, you'd finish the job and kill me so I don't get any closer to figuring things out. So, yeah, you may be dangerous, but I don't believe you're _bad_ for a second-" I tore my gaze from his to twist the cap back on my apple juice so he wouldn't snatch it back- "... unless you're planning on killing me now. That would be pretty uncool and bad," I joked, but he wasn't smiling.

If anything, he seemed to be brooding more now. "I could never hurt you. Just the thought of it…" He didn't finish the sentence, shaking his head as though to clear it.

I felt the urge to get that negative look off his face. It didn't suit him well. "That's good. For a second, I thought I was going to have to get you before you could get me."

He let out a huff of laughter. "I'd like to see you try."

Leaning forward with a wicked grin, I tried to look as intimidating as I could. "Don't underestimate me. I can be pretty dangerous too, ya know."

A gleam appeared in his eye, and he was suddenly leaning forward with a grin of his own. "Not as dangerous as me." His teeth were on full display, and his lips were pulled back in an almost-sneer. It was meant to be intimidating, I knew, but it had the exact opposite effect on me.

_Holy shit, that's hot!_

Clearing my throat, I leaned back in my seat and turned my attention back to my nearly-melted ice cream. "Whatever," I muttered, hoping he didn't notice the blush forming in my cheeks but knowing he did. I hadn't thought that he'd retaliate or that he'd look so good trying to be intimidating. He'd sent my stupid hormones wild with that.

I heard him laughing, and pouted while shoving another spoonful of ice cream into my mouth. "You're as intimidating to me as a kitten, Addison."

I huffed. "I take offense to that. I think I'm at least a wildcat or something; not a kitten."

"Maybe an adult cat, at most," he corrected. Glancing up at him through my lashes, I saw the wide smile on his face. He really thought he was funny.

"Bite me, Edward." The amusement on his face quickly washed away, and I wondered what I had said. Was he going through another one of his mood swings? And just when we were getting along too. Not wanting our conversation to end, I blurted out, "Black."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

I cleared my throat and mentally berated myself for not adding context. "That's my favorite color. You asked before, and I'm answering." Realization lit up his eyes, and he no longer looked like a stick was up his ass.

"Why black?" he asked, interested.

I shrugged. "It goes with everything, and I think it looks nice on me. What about you? What's yours?"

He smirked. "Well, you see, I'd tell you, but then you'd be even later for class." Tearing my gaze away from his own, I looked around to see that the last few students were filing out of the cafeteria. We were the last two sitting at the tables.

My eyes narrowed at him as a laugh forced its way out of my throat. "I cannot believe you used my own words against me like that-" I shook my head- "but it was such a perfect opportunity, so I can't even be upset." As I stood and began to gather my bag and trash, I noticed that Edward was just sitting and watching me.

"Aren't you gonna, like, go to class?" I questioned, shrugging my bag on my shoulder.

He shook his head, leaning back further in his seat. "It's healthy to ditch occasionally." My eyes widened fractionally. I never would have thought he was the type.

I shook my head once again and began to take small steps towards the door. "Damn underclassmen and their privilege," I half-joked. "Don't do anything too _bad_ while you're out being a delinquent."

"Duly noted," he called back.

As I walked out the door, I couldn't help but steal a glance back at him. He was still sitting there, and his eyes were watching me. He lifted a hand in a wave, and I returned it with a small smile before turning and beating feet towards my class. I still wouldn't get there in time, but I didn't want to be disrespectfully late. A part of me wanted to curse Edward for not telling me when the bell had rung, but I'd been too entertained talking with him to really be upset.

But, as I walked into my class a few minutes late and my teacher began scolding me, I threw all those previous thoughts out the window and began cursing Edward out like a sailor in my head. I had a feeling that if he knew what I was saying in my mind, he'd be laughing.

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_**So, there was a review that said Addison was being a hypocrite, and I just wanted to address it. Everyone has secrets, and most people are curious or plain nosy. When someone wants to know something, it's not obligatory to give up information as well like a transaction. Sometimes, you learn people's secrets without telling your own, and that's just how it is. So, I'll have to respectfully disagree about Addison being a hypocrite because she's trying to figure out Edward's secret without telling him about her own.**__** That's just my opinion, and you, the Guest who reviewed, are entitled to your own as well. If you believe that she's a hypocrite, I can't stop you, I can only work to try and fix her image. I hope this didn't come off as rude, but I just felt I had to make my thoughts clear. Also, I'm not sure if it was a different guest, but thank you for your input about the love triangle. It really doesn't make sense to have, and I thank you for letting me know. **_


	10. Chapter 10

_**I've been really into writing this story lately, so maybe there'll be more updates in the near future. Also, I noticed that it may be a bit odd for Addison to just immediately believe in other supernatural beings (you'll see in this chapter, especially), and that'll all be explained at a later time. Well, it can really just be explained by saying, she just knows shit. Hope that clears things up **_**(￣▽￣)ノ**

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Saturday morning, I woke up to see the sunlight streaming through my window. I blinked a few times and rubbed at my eyes. Sure enough, it was the sun. It wasn't anywhere close to the sun in Phoenix, but it was amazing for Forks. _Bella must be ecstatic._ Even I felt energized just seeing the rays light up my room. A smile was on my face as I got ready.

I was just beginning to stuff my wetsuit into my bag holding a towel and some other odds and ends when Bella poked her head inside my room with a smile on her face. It was probably the happiest I'd seen her since we'd been here. "Can you believe it?" she asked, gesturing with her head towards the window that I had wide open.

"Barely," I replied, zipping up my bag and tossing it on my bed. "I guess Mike was right." She nodded and disappeared back to her room to finish getting ready. It wasn't long before we were both getting in my car and headed towards Newtons' Olympic Outfitters. It was a store just north of town, and I knew exactly how to get there because it was the place I'd purchased my wetsuit.

As I parked, we both got out to meet with the others in our group. Mike came to greet us with a big smile on his face. He looked the happiest to see us, honestly. "You guys came!"

"We said we would. Besides, I wouldn't dare miss the chance to see the "surfing skills" you claim to have," I teased, laughing at his indignant expression.

"You're gonna start treating me with some respect, Addison."

"On my deathbed, Mike."

Bella interrupted our playful bickering. "Who are we waiting on?" she asked, looking at everyone standing in the parking lot.

"We're just waiting on Lee and Samantha… unless one of you invited someone else." I knew his words were directed towards me. He'd shown his disapproval of my sitting with Edward during Gym yesterday. If I thought Mike didn't like him before, I knew for a fact now.

"Nope, just me, myself, and I. Now, who all is riding with Bells and I?"

The drive to La Push was filled with idle chatter over the sound of the radio playing. I was only half paying attention to the conversation going on. The scenery around us was more interesting to me. Dense forest lined the road around us for most of the fifteen-mile stretch, but it soon cleared to reveal the mile-long crescent of First Beach. The little amount of sand near the water quickly transitioned into millions of stones that almost matched the color of the gray waves brushing against them. It was all so beautiful.

After parking, we all took our things and claimed an area of the beach as our own. Some of the guys drug over some logs for everyone to sit on, while Eric and Ben began gathering sticks to start a fire. My eyes were fixed on the surfboards that Mike had brought for us to use. I really was excited to try out surfing. Unlike Bella, my balance was pretty good, and the water didn't look like it was freezing.

I was the first to claim the small bathroom and quickly changed out of my clothes. Waiting for everyone else to get into their own suits took a while, and in the time I was waiting, a few others joined our little group. Jacob was the only familiar face, and I smiled and waved in greeting.

"Long time no see, stranger." He chuckled, and I couldn't help but notice how bright his smile was. If I hadn't already been smiling, I would have been after seeing his.

"You know, you could visit with Charlie sometimes too, right?" he retorted.

"Touché."

He gestured to my wetsuit. "You're actually planning on surfing?" His tone was disbelieving.

"I think you have me confused with my less athletically inclined sister." Speaking of, I suddenly remembered how infatuated Jacob had seemed to be with her when we first got to Forks. Something told me they'd hit it off well together, and I called Bella over. She looked eager to get away from the group of girls and nearly ran over.

"Jacob, hey," she greeted, pushing her hair behind her ear. There was a flush in her cheeks that I knew wasn't from the cold.

"Hi, Bella." He wasn't any better. His smile from before had turned almost goofy as he beamed at her, and he had started fidgeting awkwardly. His crush on her was all too obvious, and I kind of felt bad, knowing that Bella could be oblivious when it came to guys being interested in her.

Wanting them to have a chance to talk alone, I excused myself from the conversation and went over to the group of people planning to surf. It wasn't a lot, only a few of us who were brave-or dumb-enough to get in the water. Mike didn't look nearly as confident as he'd been portraying himself to be. He made even Jessica look like a pro, and she was only getting in the water because of him.

I pat a hand against his back, startling him as I passed. "You okay, Mike? You're looking a little pale. Getting cold feet?" I teased, grabbing a board that was black and shiny. It had obviously never been used before.

"Of course not. I'm totally fine." I knew it was a lie and hummed noncommittally. He huffed. "Watch, you're gonna wipe out and think back to how you were making fun of me. I'm calling it now."

"I somehow doubt that." The last person in our small group joined us, and everyone else grabbed their boards before we headed to the water. I could tell that the water was cold by the muttered curses from my companions, but the drop in temperature barely registered to me. Not wanting to stand out and risk them asking questions, I began mimicking them. Thankfully, no one picked up on my acting.

When we were far out enough, we got on our boards and began paddling just a bit further. The breeze was picking up, and small waves were beginning to form. It wasn't long before the waves became big enough to surf.

Balancing on the board was easy enough. I was a bit Rocky at first, but after readjusting a few times, I got the hang of it. The trickier part was getting the board to turn. Jerking my hips only caused me to lose my balance and hurriedly scramble to regain it so I didn't fall into the water. I couldn't give Mike the satisfaction. He'd been stealing occasional glances at me just in case I did mess up somehow, and each time, I'd give him a smug smirk.

After surfing for a good hour or so and laughing at Mike anytime he wiped out, the wind suddenly picked up and the small waves that we'd be riding had grown huge. Everyone else in our little group had gone back to the beach besides Eric, Mike, and I, none of them brave enough to even attempt to go against them. I could tell Eric and Mike had only stayed because of their pride. They'd made it into a competition, and I was whooping their asses so far. So, when a wave bigger than any I'd seen before began to form, I wasn't surprised when the two of them chickened out.

I'd been having too much fun on the surfboard to give up now. So, rather than start paddling back towards the beach with the others, I made my way closer to the wave. I could hear Eric trying to urge me away, but I ignored him. My heart was pumping in my chest, and I could feel the adrenaline fueling me. This would be too much fun.

As soon as it was close enough, I stood up on my board and let the water push me. It lifted me high into the air, and I couldn't help but laugh joyously as I watch it arch over me. There was a hint of fear in my system, telling me that the water would fall and drag me under, but that only made the experience all the more thrilling. I'd never felt more human than in this moment. But like all good things, it had to come to an end.

Coming from underneath the arch of water, I noticed the awed cheers from the others on the beach. Even Bella looked impressed. It made me smile and whoop cheerfully as I finally decided to join the rest of my peers.

I was given high-fives and pats on the back from some of the guys and envious looks from the girls who were interested in them. It didn't bother me. I wasn't romantically interested in any of them at all. The only person who came close wasn't here and was probably off brooding somewhere.

I left to go change into my clothes, and when I came back, the food was done and was being passed out. Grabbing a plate, I plopped down on the only available seat next to a guy I didn't know. He'd been one of the boys who'd joined with Jacob, I recalled. Boy probably wasn't the right word. He looked the oldest out of everyone here. I was mid-bite into my burger when it hit me.

_**Danger.**_

I stiffened minutely, suddenly very aware of just how big and muscular he was. Something about him was off. He gave me the same vibe that Emmett had on my first day. No, this was different. He seemed even more dangerous somehow. It felt like he could kill me even with my monstrous enhancements.

Forcing myself to swallow, I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He was talking with another guy who'd joined the group, so I was able to observe them stealthily. Both were buff, though the one at my side was still bigger. He had an air of authority about him, and I had a feeling he was a leader. A leader of what, I wasn't sure. It was just the vibe I got from him.

It was nearly impossible for me to relax on the log now that I was aware of them. My eyes would dart in their direction if they so much as breathed too deeply, and I wanted nothing more than to get away but refrained. There was nowhere else to go, and despite my fear, I knew they wouldn't hurt me with so many people around. Trying not to dwell on it too much, I engaged Bella and Jacob-who had seemed to be in their own little bubble-in conversation. It was enough to ease me a bit but not enough to be comfortable.

When everyone finally decided to pack up so we could leave, I was one of the first people up and gathering the things that had been packed in my car. Bella gave me an odd look but kept silent as she got up to help as well. She'd bring it up later, I knew. Driving back to Newtons' was a relief. The further I got from First Beach, the more relaxed I began to feel. I hadn't been that scared since the attack, as I'd taken to calling my disastrous first night in Forks. I wouldn't be going back to that beach anytime soon, that was for sure.

After dropping our passengers off and saying goodbye to our classmates, it was just Bella and I in the car. Just as I thought, she turned to look at me critically. "So, what was up with you at the beach? It was like after you came back from surfing, you just looked super uncomfortable. Did something happen?" she asked.

I decided to be honest with her. "I was getting a bad vibe from those guys who were sitting next to me."

"A bad vibe?" she questioned.

"Yeah, I don't know. It's just that they seemed kind of dangerous. It put me on edge, and I couldn't relax."

"So, that's why you looked constipated." My eyes widened and I glanced at her to see a small grin on her face.

"I did _not_ look constipated."

"You kind of did. Even Jake noticed."

I narrowed my eyes at her and smirked. "Speaking of Jake, you two looked pretty close today. Don't think I didn't see you walking off together." Her cheeks flushed red, and she avoided eye contact with me. "Did you guys slink off to kiss or what?"

"No! It was nothing like that," she protested. "He was just telling me some of the Quileute legends."

"Oh? Enlighten me."

"Well, the one I remember the best was his story about how his people descended from wolves and could turn into wolves themselves to protect the people and fight against 'cold ones', which is just a weird way of saying vampires. I'm pretty sure he was just trying to scare me though." She began going into more detail about the legends he'd told her, but I was only half listening.

It all made sense now, why I'd felt in danger while being near them. They were werewolves! If the legends Jacob had told Bella were true, which I was sure they were, that would make them my natural enemy. Their sole purpose for existing was to kill vampires, and it was only logical that being around them would make me uneasy. They _could _kill me and probably would if they'd known what I was even despite all the people around. Once again, I was reminded that I was only human on the surface.

Once we got home, Bella disappeared into her room to get some sleep, but I couldn't do the same. My mind was reeling. I'd been right. There were other supernatural creatures in the world besides vampires. It made me wonder how many roamed among us just under our noses and how many I'd encountered without even knowing.

The knowledge that werewolves or shapeshifters existed was enough proof for me that Edward wasn't human, and neither was his family. There were just too many signs pointing towards it. The idea was pretty scary, but also thrilling. My instant thought had been that they were werewolves as well, but I quickly ruled that thought out. While they did give me dangerous vibes, it wasn't to the same extent that the two men had given off.

Getting on the ancient computer Charlie had provided, I quickly-well, as quickly as the computer would allow, which wasn't fast at all-searched for a book on Quileute legends. That seemed like the best place to start considering one of the legends had already proven to be true. A small shop in Port Angeles popped up in my search results, and I scribbled down the address on a scrap piece of paper before shutting the beast down. I'd go the first chance I got.

Having done all I could do for the night, I changed and slipped underneath my covers. Sleep didn't come easy; I was too busy wondering about the mechanics of shapeshifting. When I finally did manage to drift off, I dreamed of Edward in a pointy hat and waving a wand around.


	11. Chapter 11

_**By the near future, I meant the same day. I'm going to start off by saying that THERE ARE MENTIONS OF ATTEMPTED RAPE. BE WARNED. I'm also not particularly happy with this chapter because I stuck heavily to the source material (the movies and books) and hardly changed anything. I kept debating between making her a badass and fighting off the attackers or having a normal, human, response to the chances of being raped. I went with the latter. Anyone would be frightened when something like that happens, and though Addison is pretty outgoing and outspoken, she still has human reactions and will be terrified. I just wanted to warn you all about it just in case you may think it's out of character. **_

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The first chance I got came sooner than I thought it would.

When Monday came, Jessica and Angela were immediately on me during lunch. They were planning on going dress shopping in Port Angeles for the dance, and considering I may or may not be going, they thought it was a good idea to invite me. Of course, I jumped at the chance to join them. They invited Bella as well, but she declined even after they'd said she could come just to help us pick out dresses. I didn't blame her. Watching people try on clothes wasn't the most ideal way to spend a few hours. We made plans for right after school on Tuesday, and it was decided that we'd be taking Jessica's car. I made it known that I'd probably leave early to visit a book store, but would eventually meet back up with them whenever I was done. They were fine with that, and we continued on with the rest of lunch chatting idly.

The rest of the day passed by quickly, and Tuesday was upon us. The sun was out, once again, and I dressed for the warmer weather with a long-sleeve shirt. Though it was sunny, there was still a chill in the air that didn't warrant a t-shirt without a coat, sadly.

As Bella and I made it to school, I noticed that the silver Volvo was absent for the second day in the row. I'd hoped that I would see Edward sooner, but that hope was painfully squashed. It made me wonder why he and his family had missed school on the days with the best weather. After asking Jessica, she informed me that their father would yank them out for camping trips whenever it was nice outside. I couldn't help but feel a bit envious. Missing school _and _getting to camp out in the wilderness? That sounded like the perfect time to me.

Once the school day was over, Jessica followed Bella and I home so I could ditch my car and bag. I stuffed my wallet, phone, and keys into a small purse I hardly used, reapplied my lip gloss and mascara, and called out a quick goodbye to Bella before running out to join Jessica. We drove to Angela's house next before finally heading towards the town limits.

The drive there was pleasant, and the longer we were on the road, the more I began to get excited about this girls trip. Jessica was playing music on the radio while we chattered about some of the boys in our classes and inner circle. I learned that she'd gone on a dinner date with Mike, and it had gone well. She was hoping that they'd move on to the first-kiss stage, and I agreed. Hopefully, that would finally get him off my back, and we could continue being friends.

We got to Port Angeles by four and parked at a department store both of them seemed to be familiar with. From what was going around, the dance was semiformal, and neither Jessica nor Angela seemed to know what that meant. I was happy to explain as we went to the section of dresses. "It's basically something dressier than what you'd wear every day, but not too fancy like a gown or tuxedo. Maybe something like this-" I tugged at a saffron-orange dress hanging on display- "but also not like this because the color is awful."

Separating to a different rack, Jessica commented, "You seem to know a lot about dresses and stuff."

I shrugged, scanning through another rack for something that would look good on me. Something black would be a safe choice, but I wanted to dress a bit more colorfully if I did end up going. "Not really. I only know what semiformal wear is because I've been to a couple of school dances up in Phoenix."

Her eyes flickered up to me, interested. "You've never really told us about your life in Phoenix. Did you have any boyfriends or anything while you were there?" she questioned.

I shook my head. "No, nothing like that. There were a few boys who tried, but I always shut them down."

"Are you, like, into girls or something?" her voice was hesitant, as if she was scared of upsetting me somehow.

"No, I just have high standards for guys and none of them met them."

"So, does Tyler meet that standard?" Angela piped in quietly.

My gaze lifted up from the dress in my hands and my brows furrowed. "What?"

"Tyler told everyone he's taking you to prom," Jessica informed me, eyes both curious and excited. I let out a drawn-out sigh while shaking my head. And here I had thought that he was done with asking me out after the accident. I guess he was, considering he hadn't even asked me this time.

"Me and that boy are going to have some words tomorrow. We're not going to prom together; he didn't even ask me. I'm not interested in him-that's a bit too revealing for a semiformal, Jess-and he needs to get it through his thick skull."

"I knew it wasn't true," Angela murmured, holding up a pretty pale pink dress. I encouraged her to try it on, noting that it would bring out the honey tints in her light brown hair. She nodded and draped it across her arm, looking for another option just in case. We continued on that way, calling out occasional suggestions and me keeping Jessica from picking out dresses that showed off too much skin. Eventually, we all had a small pile of dresses to try on and made our way to the dressing rooms.

In the end, Angela decided on the pink dress I had recommended and Jess was torn between two. I urged her against the black one, not liking how plain it was. While the knee-length electric blue dress was a bit of an eye-sore in my opinion, it did look alright on her, so I put my vote on that one. For myself, I'd picked a gold dress that went mid-thigh and had black flowery accents that became more prominent towards the bottom. If anyone asked, I'd deny picking it because it reminded me of the honey gold of Edward's eyes. I'd take it to my grave.

With our dresses picked out, we moved on to shoes and accessories. I was tempted to buy a pair of strappy gold heels to match the dress but decided against it. Instead, I chose a black pair with a small heel. They were on sale, and I would get more use out of them with all the black dresses I owned. After buying a matching necklace, I was done with my shopping. To spend some more time, I helped the two girls decide on their own accessories, and we were done ahead of schedule.

We were planning on going to a little Italian place to eat later and to waste some time, Angela and Jess decided they wanted to walk down the bay for a while, but I declined. "I'm gonna go check out that bookstore now. If all goes well and I find the book I want fast enough, I should be back in time to meet you at the restaurant. If I'm not there, don't wait up on me."

Angela didn't like the idea much. "Are you sure? We can come with you." Jessica nodded even though she glanced down the bay wistfully. I waved them off.

"Yeah, 100 percent. Go have some fun; I'll meet you later." It took a little more convincing, but they eventually nodded and headed off in a direction Jess pointed in. I looked after them for a few more moments before pulling the slip of paper out of my purse to look at the address.

The bookstore wasn't that hard to find; I only took one wrong turn on the way there. It was an odd looking shop, for sure. There were crystals in the window along with dream catchers and books on spiritual healing, but I didn't let them deter me. I knew the book was inside, and I wouldn't let the appearances fool me.

As soon as I stepped inside, the smell of essential oils hit me like a freight train, and I stopped breathing for a second. It was almost unbearable, but I was able to manage by taking tiny breaths occasionally. There was a middle-aged Native American man behind the counter, and he regarded me cautiously as I went to the small selection of books towards the back of the room. It took a long while of scanning, but I eventually spotted the unassuming book amongst children's stories. It made me laugh.

Before going to the counter, I decided to look at some of the crystals that I'd seen displayed. The tiger's eye caught my attention. I thought it was wood at first, but upon closer inspection, noticed that it was much too smooth. Looking at the description, I read that it was supposed to help bring clarity as well as focus and insight. Thinking that it could possibly help with studying, I grabbed it and went to purchase my two items. I could tell the man was suspicious of me and wondered why I'd be interested in legends, but I just smiled pleasantly as I paid.

Walking out of the shop, I decided to meander through the streets a bit, wanting to explore some more. I still had a little bit of time before I had to meet back up with Angela and Jess and wanted to get just a little sight-seeing in. It wasn't the touristy section of town, but I didn't mind that. It was nice to see what the real Port Angeles was like. Nobody I passed on the street even spared me a glance, and I didn't mind. I was too focused on looking around for any other little shops around. There were a few that I passed, but none of them interesting enough to stop in.

After having no luck in finding something interesting, I decided I should begin heading back to Angela and Jessica. I'd probably already be about ten minutes late, but that was still plenty enough time to catch them. As I turned around on my heel and began retracing my steps, I quickly came to the realization that I hadn't been paying as much attention to street signs as I should have. I wracked my brain for landmarks, but I could see none of them on the street that I was currently headed.

Crossing over to another wrong street, I finally accepted that I was lost, to my embarrassment. I would have asked for help but noticed that I seemed to be the only person on the street, and not many cars passed. The sky was starting to get dark as well, and I cursed to myself, trying to ignore the panic building in my chest. I took a deep breath, walking in a direction that seemed sort of, kind of, not really familiar. "Calm down Addie, it's fine. I can just call Jessica to come and-" I pulled my phone out of my pocket- "and my phone is dead. No biggie. That's absolutely no reason to panic. I'll just keep walking until I find someone and ask them for directions. Yeah." Psyching myself up, I continued down the darkening streets, becoming more and more aware of just how alone I was the longer I saw no one around. If push came to shove, I wasn't above flagging down a car.

Luckily, a group of four men turned around the corner I was walking towards. They were joking and laughing loudly amongst themselves. I knew they weren't tourists, like me, and could probably offer me some help with getting back to civilization, but something about them didn't sit right with me. Maybe it was just the fact that they were men, and I was a female all alone on a deserted road or maybe it was something else.

_**They're criminals. They can hurt me.**_

That thought was what made me keep my mouth shut and move to the furthest edge of the sidewalk. I didn't look down though. No, I wanted them in my sight just in case they pulled something. I gripped my bags tighter to my chest and hoped none of them bothered me. I had no such luck. Maybe I should have gotten the citrine which was meant for protection and good luck.

"Hey, there!" one of them called as they passed me. The rest of the group began to come to a stop along with him. I didn't dare do the same. If anything, my stride became faster. There was no way I was going to be dumb and put myself in a dangerous situation. I'd just take my chances being rude.

"Hey, wait!" another one called, but I didn't listen. I pretended I didn't hear him and rounded the corner, doing my best not to break out into a full on sprint just yet. I was trying to stay as calm as possible, but that was pretty hard when I knew that they were criminals.

The sky continued to get darker, and cars and people became virtually non-existent. The panic that I'd been trying to keep at bay was steadily growing, and I could feel my breaths coming out sharper. There were no shops or stores I could go in to make a call. Only warehouses and abandoned, run-down buildings remained.

_**They're following me.**_

That thought made me stiffen up and steal a quick glance behind me. Sure enough, two men from the group were walking quietly about twenty feet behind me. I was surprised I hadn't heard their footsteps. Now that I was aware of them, I held my bags closer to me and picked up the pace once again. I was nearly jogging at this point, but I didn't care. I could hear their footsteps pick up too. I contemplated dropping my purse and bags on the ground, hoping that would appease them, but I _knew_ they weren't after valuables. I shuddered from a chill that had nothing to do with the weather.

As I was about to turn around a corner I thought would lead me to safety, a scary realization hit me. _**They're not just following me… they're herding me.**_

I didn't even have to look around the corner to know that it was probably a dead end. The footsteps got louder, and I turned around to try and continue across the street. Before I could, the other two men were coming around another corner to intercept me. "There you are!" _Shit! Shit! Shit!_

The men had wicked smiles on their face that rubbed me the wrong way. Just looking at them, I could tell what their intentions were. Fear pumped through my veins along with a heavy dose of adrenaline. They weren't just going to let me leave, and I knew I didn't have enough strength or speed to get past them, not like this, at least.

If I turned into a vampire, _**I'd kill them.**_ I withered slightly and glanced all around me once more. The men were converging on me faster than I could really comprehend in my panicked state, and I pressed myself as far away as I could with the limited space. Even though I knew they were planning on doing vile things to me, I didn't want to _kill_ them. All I wanted more than anything else was to get far far away… but I would do what I had to to get away unscathed, even if that meant committing murder and unintentionally draining every single one of them dry.

"Stay away from me," I hissed, putting on my most menacing facade. I could tell it threw them off guard for a second, but not enough to give me the opportunity to escape.

"Don't be like that, sugar," the one closest to me called, and I could hear the laughter start up again.

Feeling them coming closer, my instincts took the better of me, and I attempted to rush past them in a burst of speed. I got a few feet away, but their arms grabbed at me before I could get too far. Struggling against them, I opened my mouth and let out the most ear-piercing scream I could muster. The sound even made my ears ring, so I knew someone had to hear it.

Headlights suddenly flew around the corner, and I had to blink a few times before I noticed the familiar silver Volvo. _Edward!_ As if I'd called him, he threw the door open and flew out before the car was even fully in park. The look on his face was downright furious. His eyes were black as coals and his lips were pulled back in a vicious snarl. Despite his frightening appearance, I'd never felt so relieved. The men holding me abruptly let go, and I nearly flew into Edward's side. Already, I could feel my eyes stinging with the urge to cry.

Edward didn't even glance at me as he ordered, "Get in the car, Addison." I hardly recognized his voice. It was filled with malice and complete hatred, but I knew it wasn't directed towards me. All his anger was aimed towards the men who'd, not too long ago, had me in their grasps. Now they were looking warily at Edward, no doubt debating whether it was worth it to take him on to get to me. I made a move to do as he said, but something stopped me.

_**He'll kill them. If I don't stop him, he's going to kill every single one of these men.**_ I believed that wholeheartedly, and the memory of him calling himself dangerous replayed in my mind. I didn't think he had a weapon, but I had a feeling that he didn't _need_ one.

While I held nothing but bad feelings towards the men who were trying to take advantage of me, I didn't want to see them dead-in jail, definitely, but not dead. So, gathering the minuscule amount of courage I had left, I gripped the sleeve of Edward's jacket tightly and tugged harshly. He didn't budge an inch. "Edward," I couldn't stop my voice from trembling, "let's go. Let's go, _please_. I really _really_ don't want to be here anymore, Edward," I pleaded in a harsh whisper. My words nearly jumbled together in my panic.

He stared the men down for another five seconds before finally taking a step away. I kept a firm grasp on his sleeve until we were close to his car, only letting go to throw myself into the passenger seat. He slammed the door firmly behind him, and it was a wonder the window didn't shatter.

His hands gripped the wheel tight enough to make his pale knuckles even whiter as he stepped harshly on the gas. We jerked forward and came only centimeters from hitting the group of men who were still staring wide-eyed. They jumped back, tripping over themselves in an effort not to be hit before scrambling to get up and run away. Edward expertly put the car into reverse and maneuvered us back onto the road.

"Put on your seatbelt," he grit through his teeth, still looking absolutely murderous. Dropping my bags haphazardly at my feet, I scrambled to do as he said. It took exponentially longer than it should have with my trembling hands and watery eyes, but I somehow managed to click it into place eventually. He'd blown through several stop signs while I was preoccupied, I noted.

There was a long silence, and I attempted to get my heavy breathing under control. The sudden switch from panic to relief had my heart racing nearly a mile a minute, and it was all I could hear for a long time. When I was finally able to hear the sound of the Volvo's engine, I turned to look at Edward. As I thought, his face was still murderously angry.

Without much thought, I asked, "Are… are you okay?"

He took his eyes off the road to shoot me an incredulous look. "Are you serious? You were just… _attacked_ and _you're_ the one asking _me_ if I'm okay?" When he put it that way, it did sound pretty stupid. I couldn't help it though. He looked almost like a completely different person in his anger, and I really wanted him to be okay.

"I'm sorry, I just… you looked like you were ready to kill those guys back there, and I want to make sure that you… don't."

"I'm tempted, so tempted. I want to make them experience the pain and fear that they made you feel and more. If only you could hear what those… lowlife bastards were thinking, you'd feel the same way. You'd want me to kill them," he growled, gripping the wheel even tighter. I seriously thought it was going to snap.

Glossing over the gorier part of what he'd said, my mind tuned in on the singular part that made my blood run cold. "Wait… you could hear what they were thinking?" I asked, trying to focus my attention on anything _other_ than what had almost happened. I was sure I'd have a full-blown panic attack if I didn't.

He clenched his jaw, looking a bit less murderous and a bit more frustrated. "It wasn't hard to guess." I regarded him carefully. He's lying. I know he is, but I was too stunned to question him further. I was lost in my own mind. If he could hear their thoughts… did that mean he could hear my own? Had he heard everything I'd thought about him or anyone else since that first day? Was he listening now? I immediately tried to think about anything unimportant, like the radio station that was currently turned all the way down, but I couldn't. Too much was happening at once, and I couldn't stop myself from thinking about Edward being a mind reader.

Glancing at the dashboard clock, I noticed that it was well past the time I was supposed to meet back up with Jessica and Angela. They were probably worried. Without a word, Edward made a quick turn and began heading back towards town. I came to the quick realization that he'd probably heard my thoughts. I noticed his jaw clench.

"Are you okay, Addison?" he asked, suddenly. The question had such an obvious answer that I couldn't help but let out a humorless chuckle.

"_Am I oka_-of course not! I'm the furthest thing from okay right now! Here I was, thinking I was going to have a nice trip with my friends to go buy a dress for the dance, only to get lost and fucking herded like cattle to be-" I took a sharp breath in, realizing I hadn't breathed- "I'm nowhere near okay. I don't know whether to cry, scream, or get angry." The stinging returned to my eyes, and a lump bigger than any other formed in my throat. If I said another word, I was going to burst into tears, I knew it, either that or pass out.

"You're probably going into shock," he said, turning to observe me fully. The fact that he wasn't paying attention to the road didn't even scare me. I felt completely safe in Edward's presence.

"Great… just great." I hit my head against the plush seat with every word. As I thought, tears began to leak from the barrier of my eyelids and roll down my cheeks. I wiped them away furiously, hoping Edward didn't notice them, but knowing he did.

_I definitely should have gotten that citrine crystal._


	12. Chapter 12

_**This is the longest chapter, by far. It's full of a bunch of dialogue and all that good stuff. I don't particularly care for it, and I had a tough time writing it. So, rather than do the right thing and rewrite it until I'm happy with it, I'm just gonna leave it here and keep moving forward. I think that's better than just staying stuck here. **_

* * *

I wasn't that surprised when Edward pulled up to the exact restaurant Jess, Angela, and I had been planning to go to without instruction. Rather than question him, I just grabbed my bags and got ready to thank him wholeheartedly for saving me once again. What surprised me was him turning off the car and getting out himself. I hadn't expected him to stay. I thought he was just dropping me off so I could go back home. Apparently not.

He was already at my door before I could process what was happening fully and grab the handle myself. Everything had been processing a bit slowly since I'd stopped crying. I started to get out with my bags, but he held out a hand to stop me. "Don't worry about taking that inside. They'll be fine while you eat." I couldn't even find it in myself to argue, just dropped my bags and stepped outside. He closed the door behind me and locked the car before slipping his keys into his pocket. Noticing my stare, he gestured his head somewhere behind me. "You should go explain to your friends that you won't be needing a ride home."

Turning around, I spotted Jess and Angela leaving the restaurant. I glanced back at Edward quickly before jogging over to my friends. They spotted me coming towards them, and let out relieved calls of my name. It came as a shock to me when Angela pulled me into a tight hug. "We were so worried about you!"

"Yeah, we tried calling you and everything, but your phone went straight to voicemail. I thought we were going to have to go to the police or something," Jess added, looking me over with a concern that I hadn't expected from her. Angela, maybe, but not Jessica Stanley. I decided not to tell her that she almost would have had to get the cops involved had Edward not come when he did.

"What happened?" Angela asked. My breath caught in my throat. That was exactly what my mind had been avoiding since I'd gotten into Edward's car. I had to try my hardest not to let the can of worms I'd been repressing open up again. If it did, I'd worry them even more.

Forcing a sheepish smile on my face, I rubbed my arm and pretended to be flustered. "Well, I was coming back from the bookstore I told you guys about when I bumped into Edward." The said boy moved to my side and sent them a dazzling smile. It seemed like we were both faking tonight because I could still see the anger simmering beneath the surface. "We got to talking and lost track of time. I was going to call you, but my phone died. Edward was nice enough to give me a ride." Hopefully, I didn't lay it on too thick. Giving too many details was just as unbelievable as giving too little.

"I was hoping I could get her some dinner since I was the cause of her missing out if that's alright with you? I'll drive her home myself." His voice was buttery smooth as he spoke, and had I been on the opposite side, I couldn't have even hoped to resist. I probably would have done anything he said.

Jess was completely sold, and even though Angela was blushing and avoiding eye contact, she still had some sense about her. "You're fine with that, Addison?" If I didn't love her before, I did now. She was such a sweet girl. My smile was genuine as I nodded.

"Yeah, thanks. Again, I'm sorry for ditching you earlier. That wasn't cool of me."

"No, we totally understand," Jess interrupted, barely taking her eyes off of Edward. "We'll just… go. Have fun." As she met eyes with mine, I could just tell that she was going to corner me at school tomorrow. Maybe I'd skip lunch.

Edward and I stood on the sidewalk for a while, watching them until they got into the car. "Shall we?"

"Sure." Side by side, we turned and headed inside. He stepped forward to hold the door for me, and I muttered a small thanks before walking into the restaurant. It was a warm little place with dim lights and soft music playing in the background. The low chatter added to the overall homey-feel of the place, and I felt myself relaxing slightly.

The man at the counter looked around my age, maybe a year or two older, and was staring down at a menu with a bored expression. He perked up when he noticed us, giving that same detached smile that all customer service workers had, at least, at first. He glanced at Edward before turning to me. His smile faltered, and I couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable. "Uh, how can I help you tonight?" Though he was addressing both of us, his eyes were trained on me.

"A table for two, please," Edward said, directing the man's attention away from me. An awkward tension began to settle around the three of us, and I was glad when he began to lead Edward and I to a table.

Stopping at a table near the center of the room, I grimaced. That wouldn't give me the chance to question Edward as thoroughly as I liked. "Um, could we get somewhere closer to the back, please… if that's alright, that is?"

He blinked at me a few times in silence before suddenly realizing we were all just standing awkwardly. "Oh… oh, yeah, of course, anything you want." We were lead to a booth that was in the corner of the room, away from everyone else. "Is this alright?"

"Perfect, thank you," I replied, shooting him a small smile as Edward and I sat on opposite sides.

"No problem. Can I start you off with something to drink?" He pulled out a notepad and pen from the apron I only just noticed he was wearing. It was a bit odd for him to be the host and the waiter, but I didn't care enough to question it.

"An Arnold Palmer, please."

"I'll have the same," Edward added. Sitting across from him, I was acutely aware of the fact that his eyes never strayed from my own and shifted awkwardly. People had stared at me before, but never with the same intensity as him. It made me feel naked in a way. My eyes stayed trained on the menu, feigning interest in some of the pasta dishes they had available to avoid his gaze.

When our waiter left, I could hear Edward chuckling lightly to himself. The sound was melodic and made me glance up at him. There was a smile on his face that showed clear amusement. "What?" I asked.

"He was utterly infatuated by you, you know?"

I hummed. "That was pretty clear. He looked at you for all of three seconds the whole time. Guys are easy to figure out. Well, all guys besides you, that is. I hardly ever know how you're feeling or what you're thinking at any given moment." I paused. "Though, that must not be a problem for you... being a mind reader and all." Just like I thought it would, the smile fell from his face and was replaced with a tight-lipped expression.

"I never insinuated that _I_ could read minds, Addison." There he goes with that same clueless act again. It was quickly getting old.

"Then why even bring up their thoughts in the first place, hm? The average person doesn't just say stuff like that. So, despite you not saying it specifically, I know that you can." Hearing footsteps coming towards us, I broke his intense gaze and thanked the waiter as he arrived with the two drinks.

"Are you ready to order?" He had his notepad and pen ready and looked at me expectantly.

Having not taken a good look at the menu, I simply called out the first pasta I'd seen on the list. Edward chose not to order anything, to my annoyance. It was going to be uncomfortable to eat in front of him while he just watched.

Only when the man was halfway across the restaurant did Edward speak. "You should drink something," he urged, pushing my drink closer to me with a single finger. I didn't argue because I actually was thirsty. The small itch in the back of my throat was slightly eased the moment the lemonade and tea mixture hit my throat. "How are you feeling?" I knew he was partially trying to change the subject, but there was also a genuine concern that made me answer.

"I'm alright, just shaken up. I'm sure I'll have a breakdown in my room later, but, for now, everything is under control." His eyebrows furrowed and he pushed his drink closer to me.

"You need more sugar. Drink more." I hadn't even realized I'd gulped down nearly all of the drink in the quest to calm my throat. I didn't decline. Sticking my straw into his glass, I gulped down half of that before deciding to slow down and get back on topic.

"So, you've been able to hear my thoughts since the beginning, I assume? That's pretty embarrassing." I was a hormone-filled teenage girl and Edward was a devastatingly attractive guy. Of course, my thoughts had roamed into forbidden territory. If he had heard all the thoughts I had about him, I wouldn't ever be able to look him in the eyes again.

There was a long silence. His eyes searched mine deeply, trying to find an answer to some question I didn't know. I could see the conflict behind his dark honey gaze, and knew he was debating on whether or not to confirm or deny my claim. Eventually, he sighed and began picking at a napkin on the table.

"No, not exactly." I leaned closer to him.

"Not exactly? What does that mean?"

He paused again before looking up from the shredded napkin and into my eyes. "I can read every single thought in this room with ease. Everything comes through as clearly as if it were spoken out loud. But with you… things become difficult. For the most part, I get a vague idea of what you're thinking and some snippets of thoughts, but they're never clear or complete. It's easier when you're emotional, but still never as clear as others.

"For instance, I know that you're thinking about how I can read minds, but that's where it ends. I can't tell whether you're afraid or if you find it weird. I can only assume from your body language and facial expressions, and that's very frustrating." His voice was a low whisper, but I still managed to hear it clearly. I could tell he was waiting on me to freak out, and, honestly, I wasn't sure how to feel about the information he'd just given me. He could actually, genuinely read minds. How crazy is that?

"I'm not afraid or anything like that. I'll admit, it's hard to believe that you can do something like that, but it's also… pretty interesting. I'm curious about how it works and why I'm an exception. Is there anyone else you can't hear clearly?"

He looked really frustrated now. "Your sister is completely silent to me. No matter how hard I try to listen out for her thoughts, I always end up with nothing." Well, wasn't Bella lucky? I'd give anything to not have him in my head, but I guess I'd gotten the shorter end of the stick. "She's the only other anomaly. Despite not hearing her thoughts at all, I still find myself more frustrated when it comes to not being able to hear yours fully."

I found myself playfully rolling my eyes. "Oh no, you have to actually get to know me like everyone else on the planet. How ever will you do it?" He cracked a small smile. "Why do you want to know what's going on in my head anyway?"

"I find you very interesting, Addison, more so than anyone I've ever met." His gaze was intense again, and I tore my eyes away from him as my cheeks began to fill with color. He somehow always managed to say or do things that sent my heart into a fit, and I was helpless to control it. When a cute guy says that he finds you interesting, you're gonna have a reaction.

"I find you very interesting as well," I admitted sheepishly, staring down at my drink as I swirled the ice with a straw. There was no way I could give him the same intense eye contact he had given me while saying something like that. It was too embarrassing.

Not hearing a response, I flustered and began twisting my drink around anxiously. "Well, I mean, you're always so secretive about one thing or another and your attitude changes so quickly that I hardly know what you're thinking at one given time. Of course, I'd find you interesting and confusing… very confusing."

He hummed, and I glanced up to see that he was staring at me with a small grin on his face. It made heat flood my cheeks as I began shifting in the seat once more. Thankfully, the waiter was coming back with my food and disrupted the tension between the two of us. "Here is your shrimp scampi. Is there _anything_ else I can do for you?" I could feel his eyes on me but decided to focus on the delicious-looking food instead.

"No, we're fine. Thank you." Edward said, dismissing the man. I probably would have asked for a refill on my drink, but decided it was for the best that he left. It would offer us an opportunity to talk about all the weird things that had been going on with him. If I was lucky, he'd indulge me and answer my questions truthfully.

Unwrapping my silverware, I fixed Edward with a serious stare. His grin became tenser as he leaned forward, his stare just as serious as my own. "I'm sure you know exactly where I'm going to go with this conversation."

"I do, and I'd prefer it if you didn't. You should eat instead." He gestured to my plate, and I stuffed a forkful of pasta into my mouth, swallowing quickly.

"Well, I was hoping you'd be the main one talking. I can eat and listen at the same time," I partially joked, stabbing a shrimp with my fork and popping it into my mouth.

"It's better for you if you don't know anything."

"But the thing is, I already do know things, Edward. I've seen you do things that are just outside of the spectrum of human possibility. You-" I glanced around to check if anyone was looking and leaned forward as well- "you can read minds and lift cars with one hand for God's sake. If there were any doubts about you not being 100% human, they're already long gone."

His eyes turned hard. "Why are you so interested in finding out, Addison?"

"Because I've not too long ago realized that there are beings on this Earth other than humans, and I'm curious, okay? I'm super curious and want to know all I can."

His eyebrows shot up. "What kind of beings?"

I paused only for a moment, considering. Since the chances of Edward being human were slim, he probably already knew, and there would be no reason to hide it from him. "Okay, this is going to sound weird, but I'm about 98% sure that the Quileutes-or, at least, some of them-can turn into werewolves. That's one of the main reasons I came to Port Angeles: to get a book on their legends."

The expression on his face was one of shock. "And how did you figure that out?" _This is something harder to explain._ I couldn't exactly prove what I was saying by telling him that it just came to me. People usually wanted proof for wild claims like the one I'd just made.

"Well, when I went to the beach with some friends, there were two guys there who gave off a different vibe than everyone else. I could just feel something was off about them. Then, Bella told me about how Jacob told her some of the Quileute legends about how they can turn into wolves and hunt the cold ones which is just a fancy way to say vampire."

As soon as the word left my lips, Edward stiffened in his seat noticeably. It was almost like he was buffering and couldn't process the words I'd said. I was debating waving a hand in front of his face to see if he was still alive when he suddenly started blinking again. He'd had me worried for a second there. "And that was enough to make you believe?"

"Let's just say that certain circumstances have led to me believing in the supernatural and leave it at that." I ate another forkful of my pasta. "So, since I know you're going to be tight-lipped about what you are, how about we start off simpler? How did you know where I was?"

"I could hear what they were thinking." The anger quickly returned to his voice and his eyes were narrowed dangerously.

"I got that part. I want to know how you knew I was in Port Angeles in the first place." His mouth stayed shut as he simply stared at me. I sighed. "Come on, if this friendship is going to grow, we need to be more transparent with each other. I've answered all the questions you've asked me."

"Which hasn't been many," he pointed out.

"And who's fault is that? Yours. If you'd asked me more and been nice to me, I'd probably answer them all too, but you haven't, so here we are."

He regarded me silently for a while, and I took the time to take a few more bites of my rapidly cooling pasta. "I followed you." My eyes widened as I looked up to meet his eyes. "I just wanted to make sure that you were safe and nothing bad happened, and it was a good thing I did."

I nodded slowly, taking in the information. "See, that wasn't so hard. Under any other circumstances, I probably would have been super creeped out, but considering you saved me from… yeah, I'm glad you did too. Just, don't do it again. That's not okay."

"And if something like this happens again? What then? I won't be there to save you." He looked anxious just talking about it.

"I'll handle it myself. I won't hesitate again like I did today. I'll just have to move past my reservations and do what's necessary." _Even if I end up hating myself for it._ My appetite was suddenly gone, and I pushed the plate away from me in favor of my drink. "Next question: what's your favorite color? You left me hanging a few days ago, and I'm curious."

As I hoped, his lips quirked up in a crooked smile. "Blue; specifically the same shade of blue as your eyes." A noise of surprise left my throat as I quickly broke eye contact with him. My blush was so obvious that I was sure even the people across the room could see it. "You're too easy to fluster," he said, laughing.

"I'm glad I amuse you," I huffed, aggressively sipping my drink. It was gone faster than I would have liked. "Speaking of eye color, why does yours change? I've seen them switch between black and gold with variations in-between." Once again, his expression became more guarded, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm gonna assume that it has something to do with what you are and move on. How does your mind-reading work? Can you hear everyone all the time, or can you, like, switch it on and off, or is there a range limit?"

He let out a short breath. "I can't turn it off. I can push it to the back of my mind, but there's always a buzz. And yes, there is a range limit. It's no more than a few miles, but that's only for people I know well enough. Strangers have a much shorter distance."

"Three miles? That's crazy. Does it get annoying, having people's voices constantly in your head?"

He nodded. "Very. If I had the luxury of turning it off, I would, especially in school."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I'd bet hearing the thoughts of hundreds of hormonal teenagers gets a bit annoying after a while."

He hummed and a grin spread across his face. "Yes. The boys who hang around you are some of the worst. I'm forced to listen to their fantasies about you day in and day out."

I blushed and shook my head to try and get rid of the second-hand awkwardness. "Oh gosh! I can't even imagine."

"Mike, in particular, can get very vulgar. He's-"

"_Okay_! That's enough of hearing about that. I think I get the idea." He was laughing again, and I found myself smiling along with him. The sound made me oddly happy and warm inside.

When he calmed down, he gestured to the plate I'd pushed away from me. "Are you ready to leave?" I nodded, and he flagged down our waiter. He pulled the bill from his apron and placed it on the table between us. Edward was putting a single bill in the black folder and handing it back to him before he could walk away. "Keep the change."

As the man left, I shot Edward a disapproving frown. "I'm paying you back."

He waved me off as we both stood and made our way to the exit. "Don't worry about it. I said I was treating you to dinner."

"But you didn't even eat or drink anything. I feel bad just letting you pay for everything."

"How about as payment you let me ask the questions on the way to your house? You've made me realize I haven't asked nearly enough." He held the door to the passenger seat open for me as he spoke, and I paused on the other side of it.

"I still don't think that's a fair enough trade, but if that's all you want, sure." After I got inside, he closed the door softly behind me and walked around to the driver's seat. The engine purred to life and we were pulling away from the curb seconds after.

He didn't waste any time in starting the interrogation. "What's your family like? I've heard from Bella that your parents are divorced, but that's all."

I hadn't been expecting him to start with a question like that. "Um, yeah. Charlie and Renee got divorced when I was around 5, and Bella and I lived with Mom until she got remarried to Phil, he's a baseball player."

"Have I heard of him?" he interjected, looking at me from the corner of his eye.

I shook my head. "Nah, he's little league. Anyways, me and Bella wanted to give them some time to themselves since it was obvious Mom wanted to travel with him. So, we decided to stay with Dad for a while. They're almost polar opposites, Mom and Dad."

"How so?"

"Well, Mom is eccentric and scatterbrained. It's hard to get her to sit in one place for too long. She acts more like a fun aunt than a mom, but I love her. I can't imagine her any other way. Dad, on the other hand, likes small-town living and stability. He's a man of routine. Their personalities just clash, and it's a miracle they stayed together for as long as they did after they had me and Bells."

"Which parent do you take after the most?"

I hummed thoughtfully. "Well, physically I'm kind of a mixture of them both. I've got Mom's eyes and nose, and I've got Dad's hair and smile. I think I take a bit more after Mom, personality-wise. She's the more outgoing of the two, and I have always wanted to travel. I mean, I can stay in one place for a while, but occasionally I need to just get away."

"Where do you want to travel?"

"A little bit of everywhere, honestly."

He wasn't satisfied. "If you had to name a place?"

"Uh, maybe Paris… or Brazil. Brazil seems pretty cool."

"Have you thought about going after you graduate?"

I shook my head. "Not really. I still have to figure out what college-" I glanced at the speedometer- "holy crap!"

He looked startled. "What?"

"You're going over 100, that's what!"

"I like to drive fast."

"Fast is 80, maybe 85 of you're feeling risky. 100 is an accident waiting to happen!" And here I'd thought that _I_ was one who liked to drive fast. Edward outclassed me by a long shot. He also had the balls to not be focused completely on the road while speeding! He was living life on an edge I wasn't willing to go to.

I didn't stop looking at the speedometer until it hit 85 and settled there. Only then did I look up to give him a disapproving frown. "I hate going slow," he grumbled, looking all the part of a pouty child.

"Humor me. I survived one accident; I don't think I'll be so lucky next time."

"I'd never crash." He turned to me and showed off a proud little smile that made me roll my eyes.

"I don't doubt that, but let's not tempt fate, please." I took his steady speed as his agreement.

His questions continued the entire drive home, and I answered them as honestly as I could, enjoying how attentive he was. There were a few of his questions that were a bit too invasive, and I made sure to avoid them as obviously as possible just to get under his skin. His exasperation was just too fun.

Sooner than I thought, he was pulling up to the curb in front of my house and turning off the engine. With the new silence, I realized that I'd been having more fun with Edward than I thought I would. He seemed to be pulling out the stick up his ass, and he was cool to be around. I fiddled with my bags to stall for time. I didn't want to leave yet.

"_**So-**_" We both stopped as we realized we'd been speaking at the same time and laughed.

"Go ahead," he offered, smiling crookedly.

"Uh, I had fun today, despite… ya know. We should exchange numbers and hang out again sometime." His easy smile faltered, and I prepared myself for another one of his mood swings.

"That wouldn't be the best decision," he paused, searching my eyes (or thoughts) for something, before pulling out his phone and holding it out to me, "but I'd like that regardless." Reigning in the goofy smile threatening to take over my face, I gently took the phone from his hands and quickly put my number in under 'Addie'. Handing it back to him, I started to reach for my own before suddenly remembering it was dead.

"Well, I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow then," I said, pulling on the door handle and stepping out.

"Yes, I'll see you tomorrow." I stared at him for a moment longer before closing the door and making my way to the house. I saw a blind slip closed quickly and rolled my eyes. No doubt, Charlie had been eavesdropping. I rolled my eyes before turning and sending a final wave to Edward as I went inside.

As I thought, Charlie was sitting in the living room and questioned how the girl's trip went. After a short recap and an explanation as to why I wasn't being dropped off by Jessica, he nodded and went back to watching the game. Heading upstairs, I peeked into Bella's room to see that she was busy with homework. We gave each other a nod of acknowledgment before I closed her door and went into my room.

Throwing my phone on the charger and carefully putting away my outfit for the dance, I changed into something more comfortable and settled on my bed to get started on the book of legends. Of course, most of it was centered on the shapeshifters, but I found the information to be extremely interesting. There were a few stories that seemed a bit too wild to even be remotely true, but most of them were reasonable. I found myself really into the story about imprinting. It was basically like love at first sight and fed the romantic side within me.

Eventually, I got to a section in the book focusing completely on the cold ones. As I already knew, they were the natural enemies to the shapeshifters and their only known enemies. The legends focused heavily on how dangerous and horrible they were, which was to be expected. The more I read, the more bored I got. It was basically saying that vampires could rot in hell over and over but with slightly different wording.

There was a bit of useful information inside though. Apparently, vampires were immortal and had something similar to imprints. They were many times faster and stronger than the average human and had much better senses. They made sure to include that the shapeshifters were said to be even stronger.

The enhanced strength and senses were something I'd already known, but the immortality was a shock. Of course, the popular myths said the same thing about vampires, but I was under the assumption that all the myths were false considering I didn't burn in the sun and I could still devour a pizza with garlic crust. Maybe they did hold some weight.

The knowledge that I wouldn't be dying of natural causes anytime soon was both relieving and extremely depressing. Theoretically, if I wasn't killed by a shapeshifter or another vampire, I'd live long enough to experience everything. I'd be able to learn every language, travel the world, and become an expert in every hobby and still have time left over for more. There would come a time where there was nothing left for me to do because I'd done it all. The joy of experiencing something new would be rare, if not gone completely. What would the meaning of life even be at that point? What purpose would I have? Was I damned to just spend the rest of my days stuck watching the world pass me by?

I closed the book and placed it on my bedside table, no longer having the same enthusiasm to read it. The familiar sting of tears filled my eyes, and I forcefully pushed my pals against my eye sockets until I was seeing stars. I couldn't even share my torment with anyone else besides another vampire, but that was out of the question. If all vampires were anything like the sadistic one who had changed me, I'd rather brood by myself.

Hearing a notification from my phone, I pulled myself out of my pity party to see where it was from. There was an unknown number with a short message that made me smile.

**(xxx)-xxx-xxxx**

_Sleep well tonight, Addison. I'll be looking forward to your company at school tomorrow._

Knowing it was Edward, I saved his number in my contacts and sent him a quick goodnight before rereading his message.

Something told me that Edward would understand if I told him what was bothering me. He'd be there for me and wouldn't freak out just like he hadn't freaked out when I told him I thought shapeshifters existed. He'd listen to my worries and fears and comfort me through it all. He'd understand because _**he's a vampire too.**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**I'm eager to get past this section of the story. It was unbelievably difficult to write, but one of the most necessary as well. I'm dreading the next part as well, but I'm hoping it'll be a bit easier to get through. Just know, some secrets are found out while others are just beginning to be revealed. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for all the nice** comments!_

* * *

I couldn't sleep that night. Anytime I tried, I'd see Edward's face twisted in a sadistic grin, and my eyes would shoot open to survey my room.

It was just too hard to believe. Sure, the van incident made a whole lot more sense now, but I couldn't even feel satisfaction figuring out how he did it finally. There was no way that Edward was the same as that vampire that had bitten me. I didn't want to believe it; I _couldn't_ believe it.

As the meager light of Forks began to filter through my curtains, I stood and began my morning routine. Though my mind was going over a mental checklist of everything I knew about the Cullens, I still had the capacity to complete all my tasks and then some. My multitasking skills had been okay at best before I'd come to stay with Dad, so I knew the whole vampire transformation had something to do with it. That was one of the very few pros of being a vampire that I was thankful for.

The first thing I had noticed about the Cullens was their eyes. For the most part, they were a honey-gold color that stood out brightly against their pale skin. Though there were days where that honey-gold would change into something closer to amber. The difference was subtle but extremely noticeable to my keen eye. The most noticeable though was when their eyes went black. My thoughts flickered to Edward on the first day of school. While he was the best and most memorable example, I'd also noticed that his "siblings" had the same odd eyes. They'd get continuously darker over the week before suddenly returning to that striking shade of gold once again.

They'd also begin to act differently depending on the color of their eyes. Jasper, the quietest out of the Cullen bunch, was the one I'd observed this in the most, besides Edward, of course. While Jasper was always detached from everyone around him-besides Alice-and kept his head down, something changed when his eyes were dark. He'd stare at people as they passed more, his eyes lingering just a bit longer than what was considered appropriate. He'd also tense up as if he was holding himself back from doing something. I'd just chalked it down to something odd about the Cullens and left it alone. Now, it made sense to believe that their eyes were connected to their… thirst. I'd never been able to see it myself because I was never usually in a right enough mind after I transformed to look at my reflection. Blood was always at the forefront.

Something else I had noticed about the Cullen's was how they never actually ate. Sure, they grabbed lunches every day and picked at them, but not once had I seen food actually go into their mouths. When they all got up to dump their trays, they had the same amount of food as they did when they'd first gotten them. While it was a blatant waste of food, I hadn't thought much of it. Now, I was wondering if maybe they just _couldn't_ eat food. That would explain why Edward hadn't eaten anything last night.

I continued to pick at every single memory I had of the Cullens as I finished getting ready for school. A part of me was terrified and wanted to miss today, but I reigned that impulsive side of me in. If they were going to do something to me, they would have done it by now. Besides, Edward wouldn't hurt me. Even amidst my panic knowing they were vampires, I _knew_ that fact for certain. That didn't mean I wasn't going to exert caution around him and his family until they gave me a reason to feel differently.

Even though Bella and I left the house at the same time, she made it to school a few minutes before me. If that didn't say how slow I was driving, I don't know what did. I didn't play music like I normally did either. I needed the silence to focus on my thoughts and go over everything one more time. By the time I was parking in my normal space, I'd come up with a plan of attack. It wasn't the best idea to confront Edward about it at lunch where anyone could overhear, but there was no way I couldn't bring it up. He and his family had information and knowledge that could help me understand everything about what I'd become, and I desperately needed answers.

Stepping out of my car, my eyes immediately went to the space the Cullen's normally parked. Sure enough, Edward's Volvo was parked and his family was standing around it as usual. Edward was nowhere to be s-"Looking for me?"

"Holy shit!" I jumped and held my hand over my racing heart as I turned to see Edward's grinning face behind me. "Don't sneak up on me like that! Make some noise next time or I'm gonna have to put a bell on you." My hand smacked against his chest, and though he leaned away so the impact wasn't as hard, it was like hitting a brick wall. Now that I thought about it, the book had mentioned the cold ones having hard skin.

"My apologies. I didn't mean to frighten you. I just wanted to come over and say good morning and ask how you slept." Gosh! With that grin and those sparkling eyes, it was so hard to feel anything other than attraction towards him. _That's probably how they lure in their prey._ As much as I hated to admit it, even the vampire who'd bitten me that day had been more attractive than average.

Blinking a few times, I tried to clear my mind, not wanting him to catch on to where my thoughts were headed and began walking towards the school. Edward followed. "Um… I actually didn't sleep last night." I saw no reason to keep the truth from him.

His grin fell, and his eyebrows pinched together. "That's not good. Seven to nine hours of sleep every night is what humans need for optimal functioning." If I hadn't known that he was a vampire, I would have just chalked his wording down to the way he spoke, but now, I knew better.

"Well, I'm a high school student; I never get the recommended amount of sleep. One sleepless night won't kill me."

"Was there something bothering you?" he asked, stepping in front of me to get me to stop walking. The intense eye contact was too much for me, and I settled for looking over his shoulder. It looked like just about the entire student-body was staring at us… including his siblings. I moved my gaze somewhere else.

I shrugged. "Yes and no. It's nothing to worry about." I went to move around him, but he moved with me. My eyes shot up to his, and I saw that he looked more serious than before.

"Yeah, well, I am worried about it. Were you thinking about last night? About what I told you?"

I hesitated for a moment. "Yes and no." My answer seemed to frustrate him.

"I can't read you clearly, Addison. I need something less vague."

The bell rang, and I sighed. "Okay, yes, something was bothering me last night, but it doesn't have to do with your whole-" I glanced around to make sure no one was listening- "mind-reading thing. I mean… it kind of sort of has to do with what was bothering me, but that's not the point. I was reading the book of Quileute legends last night, and it made me think about some things that kept me up last night."

"What kind of things?" Just as I thought, his voice was just as tense as his face.

Glancing around the parking lot, I noticed that we were the only two still left… besides his family, of course. They were still standing by their car and obviously staring us down. It took me a moment to realize that they could hear us and were listening in to the conversation. A slight panic began to kick in, and I looked longingly towards the school building that was only a short distance away. Judging by the look on Rosalie's face alone, I did _not_ want to be out here alone with them for much longer at all. Edward may be okay with me, but his family was a different story.

"I'll tell you at lunch, I promise. I need to get to class now." I took a step away, and this time, he didn't move to block me. He simply stared at the place where I once stood with an unrecognizable expression. It didn't sit well with me, and I hesitated by the door. "Hey." His amber eyes turned to me, and the dread was obvious on his face. "Don't worry so much. You get wrinkles when you start brooding, and it makes you look older." I wanted to curse myself for blurting that out. _How was that supposed to make him relax?_

Surprisingly though, the corners of his mouth quirked up in a tiny smile. "You're going to be late to class." As if to prove his point, the bell let out a shrill ring around the school. I groaned loudly and turned on my heel to book it to class. Hopefully, Mrs. King wouldn't mind too much.

Most classes passed relatively quickly, but that was mainly because I was too lost in my thoughts to pay much attention. How I was going to confront Edward was at the forefront of my mind. I wasn't too worried about his reaction… that much. What was really putting me on edge was how his family would react. Being in a crowded cafeteria both put me at ease and made me nearly want to pee my pants. They wouldn't try to off me with other people around… I think.

The only class where I wasn't dreading the upcoming conversation was English. Never had I found Emmett more intimidating than in that hour. I'd been acutely aware of his presence the entire time. The atmosphere was tense between us, and I knew he could feel it as well as me. Neither of us cracked jokes or passed notes as usual. Instead, we both stared ahead and sat tensely in our seats. Once or twice, I could feel his eyes on me, but I couldn't force myself to meet his gaze. It was almost like my first day all over again. I'd never been happier to have a bell ring in my life.

Now, two classes later, it was time for the most important conversation of my entire life. My pace was slow as I made my way to the cafeteria, wanting to prolong it as much as I could. It could go one of two ways. The first was them taking it alright and waiting to kill me long enough to give me a chance to explain my situation. The second was them ambushing me on the way to one of my classes and dumping my body in the woods. For obvious reasons, I was rooting for the first option.

Finally pushing open the door to the canteen, my eyes immediately spotted Edward sitting alone at a table. It wasn't the same one we'd sat at before. He'd chosen one closer to the corner, and he'd sat in a seat that left me with the one closer to said corner. _Gives me less of a chance to get away if I need to._ Apparently sensing the atmosphere, no one sat at the tables near him, giving us a bit more privacy.

Edward's eyes were locked on my form, and I took a deep breath before making my way over to him, deciding to forego lunch. I wouldn't be able to stomach anything at the moment. As I made it to the table, I sat across from him without a word. There was a moment of us staring at each other in silence before I finally broke.

"Well, a promise is a promise." I took another deep breath. "Like I said, I was up last night reading Quileute legends. In the book, they mentioned something that got me to thinking. It made a lot of things click into place, and I have a new theory… about what you are." My voice was nothing but a whisper, not wanting to take any chances of anyone overhearing.

His gaze was hard as he stared at me. "And just what do you think I am, Addison?"

My eyes flickered over his shoulder to the table his family was sitting at. Once again, they were all shamelessly staring at me with varying looks of disapproval. Rosalie looked the angriest, by far. She openly glared at me as I met eyes with her. Jasper was the next, but he didn't look like any particular emotion. If anything, he looked detached. Emmett, while not looking angry, still had a serious expression on his face that said he didn't like what he was hearing. Alice… oddly, she was smiling at me. It wasn't the brightest smile, but it was there. She didn't look hostile at all; if anything, she looked excited.

Turning my eyes back to Edward, I tried to ignore their stares. "I know you're a vampire." There, the words were out in the open, and I couldn't take them back. There was no point in beating around the bush now. "The crazy strength, not coming to school when it's sunny, the speed, the not eating anything… all of it points in that direction. The Quileute legends say all that and more about the cold ones."

There was silence on both our ends for a long time. We just stared at each other without blinking, neither of us knowing what to say. "And just how do you _know_? They're legends for a reason, Addison." He sounded like… not himself. There was an anger and sadness there that made his voice sound completely unwelcoming and harsh. It was a miracle I kept myself from flinching.

"Besides all the things I've noticed about you and your family that I just pointed out, I've got nothing. I just _know_, okay? It's the same way I knew the Quileutes from the reservation were shapeshifters." My eyes flickered back to his family who were as tense as statues. "It's the same way I know that Rosalie wants me dead for knowing your secret and that Emmett will go along with her because they're together. It's the same way I know Jasper agrees with Rosalie and will do what he has to to keep your family safe. I just... know; if you don't believe me, you can read their minds and see that I'm right."

Never had I seen Edward look as openly shocked as he did at this moment. His eyes were wide, and his lips were slightly parted as he stared at me. Even his family, who'd been glaring at me before, looked surprised. I guess they hadn't been expecting that. "How-"

I interrupted him. "I just told you, I know things." He looked unsettled and was tenser than I had ever seen him. "You don't have to worry about me blabbing to the world about anything. Trust me, it's the last thing on my mind."

His jaw clenched. "This isn't where we should be having this conversation."

"I know; it really isn't, but…" I hesitated, "it's the most comfortable for me right now. As of this moment, three of your siblings think it's better if I'm dead, which means, whether you want me alive or not, you're outvoted. I just need you to answer a few questions here and now; after that, we can go wherever you want. Deal?"

Again, there was a long pause where nothing was said. For a moment, I thought he was just going to get up and walk away, but he didn't. Instead, he clenched his fists tightly and nodded. I sighed in relief. "Thank you. I'm going to jump right into it. Your eyes, they change color depending on how thirsty you are, right? Gold being the least and black being the most?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "I'm assuming this is something you _know_."

I shook my head, internally cheering for figuring it out on my own. "No, I kind of guessed that based on the way you all acted when your eyes were black versus gold. Speaking of, why are they gold?"

"What makes you think they shouldn't be?" he questioned, eyeing me.

This time, I was the one who paused. There was no point in keeping secrets from him now, though it didn't make it any easier to explain. I took a shaky breath. "Do you remember when I told you certain circumstances led to me believing in the supernatural?" He nodded. "Well, my first day in Forks, I was walking in the forest behind my house when I was attacked by a man. He was a vampire; he had red eyes, not gold."

If I thought Edward looked like a statue before, it was nothing compared to how he looked now. He didn't even look like he was breathing. As I watched him, I was shocked to see his eyes gradually morphing from amber to coal black. It was fascinating to see… as well as worrying. Black meant thirst.

I started to lean back in my seat when his hand suddenly shot out to hover over mine. He wasn't quite touching me, but he was close enough so that I could feel the difference in temperature. "We need to go somewhere else and have this conversation." His was still whispering, but I could hear the urgency in his voice.

"And we will. I just _need_ you to answer my question, _please_." I had to know what made him different from that other vampire. Until I knew, I needed to play everything safe.

He didn't look at all happy about it, but his words came out in a hissed whisper that I struggled to keep up with. "My family and I are different from others of our kind. Rather than drink human blood, we only drink the blood of animals; it's what gives our eyes the golden color." It felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest.

"And I'm guessing the human-drinkers have red eyes, like the one who attacked me." He nodded, that tense look still not leaving his face. I suspected it wouldn't leave until I told him the truth about myself. Nodding to myself, I let out a heavy breath. "That makes me feel a lot better."

I was surprised to see that he looked angrier than before. "You find out that we're vampires who drink blood, and you say that us drinking animals makes you feel better? Don't let that knowledge make you complacent. There are still times that we slip up, Addison. Every moment around humans is a risk."

The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. The bell rang loudly, but I knew he heard me clearly judging by the expression on his face. "Who said I was human?"


	14. Chapter 14

_**So, I know it's been a long while since I updated, but don't fret, I'm still planning on continuing. I just got to a roadblock with how to do the big reveal chapter and decided to just leave it alone rather than force myself to fight through it. This is a story that's just intended for fun and stress relief, so I don't have an update schedule and can't promise when I'll write the next part. I can say that I'll write whenever the interest spikes and post the chapter as soon as I finish it. **_

_**I also just realized that I should be replying to you guys in some way. So, first, thanks to everyone who has shown an interest in this fic. I didn't really think it'd be all that popular honestly, but I appreciate you all for being here anyhow! It encourages me to keep going.**_

**Vale Herondale: ****Thank's so much for the nice comment! I'm glad you're excited. Your concerns for Addison's looks were justified, and if I'm being honest, it was bad writing on my part. I completely forgot to even mention something like that, and I'm glad you pointed it out, thanks! As for the explanation, it has to do with her unique ability to change between human and vampire. She is slightly paler (though I didn't have Bella or Charlie mention that because of bad writing), and they never mentioned her looks because she was already very attractive before. Addison is not _vampire_ attractive though. To explain it simply, she looks more human than your average vampire, but she also has little things about her that make her too vampire-ish to be fully human, ya know? I meant to mention this during one of the chapters, but Addison also has a slight glow to her when she's in the sun in her human form. It's not very noticeable at all unless someone's really paying attention, but it's there. I hope that helped clear some things up. **

_**Anyone feel free to ask questions if something confuses you about Addison or the story. If you notice plot holes or things that just don't seem to add up, please let me know in a kind and respectful way, and I'll do my best to fix it or explain it when I update next. Thanks a bunch! (I didn't proofread this chapter btw, so let me know if there are any glaring errors.)**_

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While the rest of the student body began shuffling their way to class, I was following a stiff-backed Edward out to the parking lot. Secrets had been revealed on both ends, and we needed to go somewhere more private to talk and understand each other.

As he breezed right past his car and towards the forest, I swallowed back my nerves and continued to follow him. Sure, there was the possibility that he could be luring me out to my death, and I was being a complete idiot, but I trusted Edward. It was probably dumb of me to put my trust in a vampire who could easily kill me at the moment, but I truly did feel safe with him. This was the guy who'd saved me twice already in the short time that we had known each other. I highly doubted he would go through all that trouble just to kill me after I found out his secret. Had it been anyone other than him though-like his siblings-I wouldn't have dared.

The terrain morphed from smooth pavement to uneven and damp moss-covered ground the further we got away from the school. As we began to weave through the trees, all sounds were lost besides the sound of nature and our footsteps-mainly mine because Edward hardly made any noise at all. It soothed me a bit and cleared my mind enough for me to figure out how I was going to explain everything to him.

He was a vampire, obviously; that was something I knew for sure. I was a vampire, but also… not, at least, not fully. And it wasn't hard to tell that my… 'ability' wasn't something that was common amongst others of my kind. So, going about getting answers wouldn't be the easiest. He would probably have more questions than answers anyway.

Edward suddenly stopping in front of me and spinning on his heel startled me, but I managed to stop myself just in time. His eyes-which were regaining their golden color-were alight with so many emotions that I couldn't really distinguish one in particular. It made me a bit uncomfortable. "Do you have no sense of danger whatsoever? I've just told you that I'm dangerous and drink blood, yet you followed me so willingly to a place where I could easily kill you if I so chose."

My face contorted in a frown. "Okay, firstly, what the hell kind of a start to a conversation is that? Second, of course, I have danger sensors. I almost physically felt how much Rosalie wants me dead back there, and I didn't just up and leave with you without taking caution first. I'm not a complete idiot, ya know?"

"Yet, here you stand in the middle of a forest _alone_ with a vampire," he retorted.

He did have a bit of a point there. Shrugging, I said, "I trust you."

He looked angry. "You shouldn't."

Not exactly in the mood to play his back and forth game, I rolled my eyes. "Alright, let me just take my trust back real quick. It'll only be a second." Sarcasm rolled off my voice in waves, and I could tell he didn't appreciate it at the moment, but couldn't find it in myself to care. "You really need to stop telling me how I should and shouldn't feel. It's getting old real fast."

"I find it hard to believe that you're able to put your trust in someone who could easily end your life."

I let out a deep breath. He really was making me question the already questionable amount of trust I had in him. "If you keep indirectly threatening my life, I might start thinking you actually do want me dead."

"I just want you to fully understand the situation you're in, Addison."

"And I do. I just don't believe you'd-" He was standing directly in front of me before I could even process his movement. My breath caught in my throat, and my muscles tensed as I went stiff as a board.

His face was anything but welcoming and turned down into one of the most vicious snarls I'd ever seen. His teeth were bared as he growled and his eyes were a dark gold that was bordering on the edge of black. It was an intimidating sight; much darker than the expression he'd given me at lunch that one day. _He'd been holding back then._ This one actually had my heart kicking into overdrive, and not in a good way. As much as I didn't want to admit it, he had frightened me.

Seeing that he got his point across, all traces of aggression left his posture, and he was back to the Edward from before. "Do you understand now?" His voice was slightly remorseful as if he regretted scaring me, but I had a feeling he'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant that I'd feel even a little fear of the situation.

Blinking a few times and forcing my muscles to relax, I reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, you got your point across. You can be dangerous. I still don't think you'd hurt me intentionally though." Even though I muttered the last part, of course, he still heard me and frowned disapprovingly.

"Intentionally or not, I'm-"

I cut him off. "I swear, I'm going to bash my head against the nearest tree if you say you're dangerous one more time. Besides, I've told you not to underestimate me."

It was as if my words were the magic switch to getting our conversation back on track. His eyebrows furrowed in that way they did when he was curious or confused. "You said you weren't human. So, what exactly are you?"

Taking a deep breath, I steeled my nerves. I didn't know why I was so nervous to tell him, but I could feel the butterflies fluttering in my stomach nonetheless. "I know it's gonna sound crazy, but I'm actually just like you and your family. I'm… a vampire." His facial expression told me exactly what he was thinking, and I scrambled to explain. "I know, I know it doesn't sound believable, but it's the truth. I don't understand how or why I'm able to… let me just show you then explain more afterwards." Taking a couple of steps away from him, I closed my eyes and focused on changing. It got easier and easier to switch between human and vampire every time I did it, and now it only took about thirty seconds. I could feel Edward's eyes boring into me, and it made me slightly uncomfortable and even more anxious.

His distraction made me lose focus a bit, but eventually, I could feel my heartbeat slowing until it disappeared completely. With my hearing enhanced, I could hear the precise moment Edward stopped breathing. Opening my eyes, I was greeted by the sight of his face staring shocked back at mine. His mouth was even hanging open, and I held back the urge to smile.

Seeing as he didn't look like he was going to say anything anytime soon, I shakily spoke up. "When that vampire attacked me, he didn't leave me unscathed. After he was done _playing_ with me, he bit me. I thought for sure I was going to die," I swallowed thickly, feeling that familiar sting in my eyes signaling my urge to cry, "but I didn't. He stopped just when I was starting to blackout and just left. I guess he thought I would die. Instead, I just burned. I don't know how long I was there, but when I opened my eyes again… I was this. I knew he'd turned me into a vampire just like him."

He took hesitant steps towards me, and I could hear the crackle of the leaves as if they were being crushed directly by my ears. When he was in front of me, he slowly reached out a hand and pressed it against my cheek. Rather than the slight chill that I'd grown used to, his hand felt like it was the same temperature as me. There was also a slight tingling sensation that wasn't painful or too strong, but just noticeable enough to have me wondering what caused it. I stared into his eyes as he looked all over my face.

His head shook subtly as he met my gaze. "I don't understand."

I sighed and tried to ignore the way his hand felt on my skin. "Honestly, I don't either. The only reason I know that I can change between vampire and human is because of this voice in my head... that makes me sound like a crazy person, but it's how I know things that I shouldn't. It's almost like a conscious but more knowing. It told me what I had to do to change back into a human, and I did it, but it's mainly just a facade. The thirst never goes away." At the mention of it, my throat ached painfully. It wasn't as thought-consuming as usual, but still persistent enough to tell me that I'd need to hunt soon.

His eyebrows furrowed as he took in the information I'd given him. "You obviously have a gift, but that doesn't explain how you're able to… transform."

I frowned. "Gift?"

His hand fell from my face as he ran it roughly through his hair. I hated how a part of me mourned the loss of his touch. "When a vampire is created, they have a chance of developing a gift based on a trait that was strongest when they were human. For me, I was given the ability to read minds, and you seem to have a gift that has given you increased insight. We'd need to speak with Eleazar to know for sure."

Now hearing the explanation, it did make sense that I would be given a gift that dealt with insight when I became a vampire. Ever since I was young, most things just clicked into place easily in my mind. I was also scarily good at guessing. About 8 times out of 10 I'd be able to guess something correctly, even if I wasn't given any context. I was a master of "guess the number I'm thinking" back in school.

"And Eleazar is a friend of yours that's good at detecting these gifts vampires have?" The corner of his mouth quirked up in an amused grin.

"Exactly; it's his gift." _Doesn't that come in handy?_ He must have been very popular amongst other vampires.

"Do you think he might be able to figure out why I am the way that I am? Like, maybe it's some weird second gift?" I immediately shook my head after I said it. That wouldn't make any sense. Edward said that gifts were based on strong traits from when a vampire was human, but I was pretty sure there was no trait for just being human… unless there was something inherently different about vampires… besides the whole being a vampire part. Maybe there actually _was_ a trait for humanity, but it only pertained to vampires? It sounded crazy, but my life had been nothing but crazy since I'd come to Forks, so I wouldn't rule it out just yet.

He shrugged. "I've never come across anything like your case before, but Carlisle might have. He'll be more likely to have answers than I would."

"And why would he have-" _Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._ My throat flared violently as the sound of a heartbeat entered my ears. I could nearly picture the blood flowing, and my mouth involuntarily filled up with saliva. It was a bit embarrassing how easily it distracted me and how quick I was to dart off in the direction. Maybe I was a bit thirstier than I realized. A small part of my mind heard Edward call out for me and realized that he was giving chase, but the bigger part was focused on easing the thirst that was momentarily unbearable.

The bear didn't stand a chance. It hadn't even had a chance to fight considering how hard I'd slammed into it. The crack its body had made was still echoing through my mind. After many greedy mouthfuls (somewhere around 200, blood lust had distracted the other part of my brain keeping a tally), the bear was sucked dry and my head felt clearer. Unlatching my teeth from its jugular, I quickly looked away from the dead animal with a gag. That was always the worst part after hunting, seeing what was left behind. It was just an empty husk of what it once was... and the eyes… I gagged again.

"It'll get easier with time." I whipped around to face Edward, who was watching me from a short distance away. I'd momentarily forgotten about him. It was a bit embarrassing to know he had watched while I'd drank blood, but I tried not to think about that too much for now.

I chuckled humorlessly. "Which part? The drinking blood part or being controlled by my thirst?"

He gave a grim smile. "Both, but I was specifically referencing the thirst. After you get out of your newborn phase, you won't be so weak to your thirst. It will get easier to keep under control after you adjust."

I took a few steps away from the carcass, doing my best not to look at it or think about the crystal-clear picture in my mind. "Newborn? What, is that like a new vampire or something?"

He nodded. "Yes. It's the term used for a vampire until a year after they've been changed. Their blood still lingers within them from when they were human, making them physically stronger and their senses sharper than the average vampire. They're ruled more by instinct, making it harder for them to control their thirst. You'll find you need to drink more blood than me, for example, to stay… satisfied."

"Well, that totally sucks… pun definitely not intended." I paused. "I wonder how that'll work for me though considering I can, ya know, switch between human and vampire."

He looked intrigued like I was an interesting puzzle he wanted to solve. "I hadn't thought of that. Depending on whether or not you still produce new blood cells despite being changed will play a large factor in figuring out the answer to that. I'm sure Carlisle will have plenty of questions for you."

"I'm sure I'll have just as many. There's still so much I don't know. I was pretty much left to figure out everything on my own." Not that I'd have wanted to learn anything from that sadistic bastard who'd bitten me in the first place. I had a feeling learning on my own was better than getting any kind of guidance from him.

Edward's jaw clenched, and I was surprised to hear the beginnings of a growl, however faint. "I'll find him; I promise you that." The thought of him going anywhere near that man was enough to make me feel sick. I immediately shook my head.

"I'll be fine so long as I never see his face again. I'd rather avoid any further interactions entirely." I knew that with me being immortal and all, we'd undoubtedly cross paths once again, but I was hoping it would be decades in the future when I was over the trauma he'd left me with. I didn't need to freeze up when I faced him and give him the chance to finish the job.

I could see it on Edward's face that he didn't like the idea of not doing anything about the rogue vampire, but he didn't say anything else about it. He just clenched his jaw some more before letting out a breath through his nose. It was at that moment I could hear his phone vibrate in his pocket. He easily slipped it out and quickly read over the message on the screen, grimacing slightly before slipping it back in his pocket.

"You wouldn't happen to be against getting home late tonight, would you?" he asked, suddenly.

I quirked an eyebrow. "Depends. Why would I be getting home late?" I asked, but I had a feeling I already knew the answer and dreaded it.

So, I wasn't surprised when he said, "My family would like to talk to you."


	15. AUTHOR'S NOTE: UPDATE COMING SOON

**04/04/2020 - UPDATE COMING SOON!**

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_Hello everyone! I know it's been quite a while since I last updated; I apologize for keeping so many of you waiting. _

_We've gone through a few holidays, a couple seasons, my birth day, and we are currently going through a pandemic, but let's not dwell on that last one._

_I have had chapter 15 in the works for quite a while (pretty much since posted chapter 14), but I have not had the inspiration nor motivation to continue until now! I am still working a full-time job, but I will definitely try my hardest to get some more chapters out there for you all to read. It's been too long, and I left it in such a horrible spot. Sorry, again. _

_I just wanted to say a big thanks to all of you who have reviewed, favorited, and followed. It means a lot to me! I wasn't expecting this rewrite to get as much love as it has, but I am thankful to all of you who enjoy it and like reading. It makes me want to put more effort into the story that I started rewriting out of pure boredom… but I can't make any promises, haha. So, apologies for any future errors or lazy writing you see, I just don't have the mental capacity to take this fic too too seriously, but I will try, starting with updating soon. _

_Long-story short: I done goofed with how long I've been gone, but I'm gonna update soon, so look out for a new chapter soon. Stay safe out there folks! _


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